NHAI proposes controlled access expressway on NH-48

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed converting National Highway 48 into a controlled access expressway, enabling commuters to travel more efficiently from Nelamangala to Tumakuru and Chitradurga.

By December 2025, NHAI aims to make the Nelamangala-Tumakuru National Highway an access-controlled road, similar to the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway.

This will involve closing two toll plazas on Tumakuru Road and opening a new one. Additionally, NHAI is expanding the Nelamangala toll plaza, increasing it from six lanes to ten lanes to accommodate the growing traffic.

As per media reports the Chokkenahalli and Kulumepallya toll plazas on Tumakuru Road will be closed, and a new toll plaza will be established at Rayalapally on NH-48. The existing tolls are situated too close to each other, necessitating this change.

Efforts are already underway to set up the new toll plaza and widen the existing road to six lanes.

Although the original deadline was August 2025, the project has been delayed due to land acquisition issues. However, it is now expected to be completed by December 2025, according to a senior NHAI official.