The project to build the 342 km long Vijayawada–Bengaluru Expressway has been put out to bid by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). It will be built in fourteen packages and bids for four of them have been requested by NHAI and will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 19,200 crore. The expressway is stated to significantly reduce the travelling time between Vijayawada and Bengaluru by six hours, from the earlier 12 hours. As per reports, the Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari has directed the State Government to complete the land acquisition process for construction. The project is taken under Bharatmala Pariyojana (BMP) Phase-2. The project is divided into three distinct sections that combine brownfield (36 per cent of the total) and greenfield (64 per cent of the total). The proposed project is divided into three sections: Greenfield Section: Addanki to Kodikonda, (AP), 342 km, Brownfield Upgrade: NH-16 from Addanki to Vijayawada (AP) of 113 km and Brownfield Upgrade: NH-44 from Bengaluru (Karnataka) to Kodikonda (AP), 73 km. The expressway will pass through towns of Kodikonda, Pulivendula, Mallepally, Vangapadu, Addanki, Chilakaluripet and Guntur and is likely to be completed by 2025-2026.