Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway To Get 90 M Wildlife Overpass To Enable Safe Animal Movement

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that the upcoming Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway will feature an animal overpass inside the Mahimandalam Reserve Forest. The overpass will help ensure the safe movement of wild animals and reduce human-wildlife conflict. Here’s all you need to know about this.

Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway To Feature An Animal Overpass 

Wildlife protection at the core of National Highway development!

The upcoming Chennai–Bengaluru Expressway will feature an Animal Overpass within the Mahimandalam Reserve Forest, located between Vellore and Ranipet. Home to species such as the Indian gaur, panther, wild boar,… pic.twitter.com/kKwMp0P46X

— NHAI (@NHAI_Official) February 11, 2026

Before we get into details, let us explain what a wildlife overpass is. It is a special bridge built over busy highways to allow animals to cross safely. It also helps reduce human–wildlife conflicts. In this case, the upcoming Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway will feature a similar animal overpass inside the Mahimandalam Reserve Forest.

This forest lies between Vellore and Ranipet. It is home to Indian gaur, panthers, wild boar and deer. Mahimandalam Reserve Forest is a critical wildlife habitat. According to an X post by NHAI, the structure will facilitate safe and uninterrupted animal movement. The overpass will be 90m long, 25m wide, and 5.5m above the carriageway. 

Also Read: Mumbai-Pune Expressway: Accident Causes 27-Hour Traffic Jam Leaving Commuters Stranded

A Manmade Grassland Is In Works 

That’s not all. Officials are also developing a manmade grassland with support from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. It will act as natural camouflage so the overpass blends seamlessly with the surrounding ecosystem. NHAI also wrote: “Wildlife protection is at the core of National Highway development, and building infrastructure in harmony with nature remains central to our vision of sustainable development.”

The Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is a partially operational 258 km long, four-lane expressway connecting Bengaluru in Karnataka and Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Construction began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in May 2022.

Also Read: Why 3 Small Gujarat Road Stretches Are Delaying The ₹1.04 Lakh Crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway?

This is great news! A wildlife overpass on the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway was definitely needed. This overpass is not just great for wild animals, but also for safer and smoother travel for commuters. 

Cover Image Courtesy: @Amarrrrz/ X and Canva Pro/ Dariusz Banaszuk (Representative Image)