All about the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway

The Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway is an under-construction expressway that is part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase II and will connect Bangalore in Karnataka with Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. Spanning 518 km, it is a six-lane access controlled expressway that will reduce travel time between the two cities to six hours. Also known as the NH-544G, the expressway passes through Kadapa and is thus also known as the Bangalore-Kadapa-Vijayawada (BKV) Expressway. This expressway is constructed based on the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), where 40% of the project cost is funded by NHAI and 60% is funded by the Andhra Pradesh state government.

Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway: Key facts

Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway Map

Source: themetrorailguy.com

Route details of the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway

The Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway will travel through 11 districts- 3 in Karnataka and 8 in Andhra Pradesh. Mentioned below is the route through which the Bangalore Vijayawada Expressway will pass through. It will start from National Highway 44 (NH44) at Kodikonda in the Sri Sathya Sai district, Andhra Pradesh. From here, it will connect to Bangalore, pass through the Rayalaseema Region and end in National Highway-16 (NH16) at Addanki in the Bapatla district of Andhra Pradesh, which connects to Vijayawada.  

The 11 districts are:

Kodikonda: This is an important link that connects Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and is located where the brownfield upgrade of the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway meets the Greenfield section. This important place is expected to boost economic growth in the region as it’s the entry point to the expressway.

Pulivendula: This town in Andhra Pradesh falls on the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway and is expected to attract new businesses.  

Animela

Mydukuru

Mallepalli: Present on the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway, this town opens up a direct link to a high-speed corridor that will encourage local trade, services and transport.

Vangapadu: Present on the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway, this town will help in easy travel for the locals among other advantages that it will provide.  

Kanigiri

Addanki: This place is where the Greenfield section ends and the Brownfield upgrade starts again. This place helps in improved connectivity between Vijayawada and its nearby areas.

Chilakaluripet: This town is directly connected to the expressway and is connected to all the large towns around this area.

Gunture

Vijayawada: The final destination; this will boost regional economic growth. Reaching here using the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway will be faster and easier in around six hours.

Parts of the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway

This is a combination of Greenfield development, which will be 64%, and upgrades to Brownfield development, which will account for 36%. The expressway will cover a total of 624 km, of which 518 km will be the Greenfield development and will be located within Andhra Pradesh, while the two cities will be connected by the remaining brownfield portions that exist as part of the national highways.

Travel time between the two cities

With the expressway in place, the travel time between the two cities will be reduced from the existing 12- 13 hours to around 6 hours.

Speed limit on Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway

A speed limit of around 120km/h is allowed on the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway.

How is the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway better than the existing routes?

Presently, people use NH44 and NH16 to travel between Bangalore and Vijayawada. While these highways provide good connectivity, the travel time between the two cities is close to 12 hours, which is on the higher side. This is because these highways pass through many cities and towns that also result in issues such as vehicles being stuck in traffic jams, multiple crossings, traffic signals, etc. Additionally, the condition of the road, especially during monsoons, is not great, which affects travellers.

As opposed to the older highways, the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway will have fewer access points and intersections, helping in smooth commuting. Additionally, the new expressway allows people to travel at 120km/h which is much higher than the average speed that is allowed on the currently operating routes. Thus, vehicles on the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway can travel at a consistent speed, which will help save time and fuel. These tweaks have resulted in a reduction in travel time to around six hours, which is a big advantage of this expressway.

What is the current status of the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway?

The foundation stone for the expressway was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 11, 2024, and the expressway is expected to be completed and start operations by 2026 or 2027. The civil work contract of the expressway was handed in 2023 and the project is officially classified as an under-construction project.

Impact of Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway on real estate

The Bengaluru-Vijayawada Expressway is expected to have a positive impact on real estate along its corridor. This expressway will make travel between Bengaluru, Tirupati and Vijayawada easier, and thus, there will be a demand for residential and commercial spaces, especially at the expressway exits. Additionally, peripheral areas such as Kolar, Chittoor and Hoskote, which were not given much demand till now, will be seeing a spike in realty prices as these places may become grounds for industrial and commercial development. These places can also see the development of affordable housing projects that will offer low-cost housing project options to people living in the peripheries but working in areas such as Bengaluru or Vijayawada. Similar to the Samruddhi Mahamarg and the Bangalore-Chennai Expressway, there are chances that manufacturing, logistics and warehousing companies may want to have their presence along the Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway. A demand in this direction may lead to a surge in land rates in the Chittoor, Anantapur and Krishna districts. Also, areas close to interchanges will see demand from developers.

Housing.com POV

The Bangalore-Vijayawada Expressway is a well-planned route bringing travel time between the two cities closer by six hours. This expressway is not only an inter-state vital link connecting two huge cities but will also connect cities through 11 districts, thereby supporting local economies and trade and boosting tourism. While things like toll charges on the expressway, vehicles allowed to travel, etc., are not yet decided, this expressway, which is being constructed by the NHAI and the Andhra Pradesh government, will give a facelift to this area in terms of connectivity in the south of India.

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