TN Stretch of B'luru Expressway Hits Roadblock

With 22 of 102 power towers on Arakkonam-Kancheepuram road still to be shifted, work will only be over by next June

- B ANBUSELVAN @Chennai

The construction of the 106-km Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway in Tamil Nadu, between Gudipala and Sriperumbudur, which was supposed to be completed last year, has been further delayed due to the relocation of high-voltage power towers and transmission lines in the Arakkonam-Kancheepuram (25.5 km) section.

These DC towers of 400 kV transmission lines, linked to multiple substations in Kancheepuram and Ranipet districts, and managed by the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (TANTRANSCO), obstruct nearly 4.5 km of the planned expressway at multiple places on this stretch, officials said.

"Unlike regular land acquisition, relocating power towers involves securing new land parcels, realigning transmission routes, and addressing several technical challenges. Of the 102 towers, about 80 have already been shifted, and arrangements are in place to relocate the remaining 22," an official said.