The Raipur-Visakhapatnam Expressway (also known as the Raipur-Vizag Economic Corridor) is one of India's most significant ongoing greenfield infrastructure projects. As of January 2026, the project is in its final stages of construction.## Project Overview & Current Status (2026)This 465 km, 6-lane access-controlled highway is part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana and connects Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.Completion Status: The project is approximately 90-95% complete. While some sections in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh are nearing total readiness, a few complex stretches in the Odisha ghat sections are still being finalized.Operational Timeline: The expressway is expected to be fully open to the public by December 2026, with several individual packages potentially opening for local traffic by mid-2026.Key Milestone: Chhattisgarh celebrated a major success in late 2025 with the completion of the state's first national highway tunnel (2.8 km) on this corridor, which was finished in record time.## Impact on Travel and EconomyThe highway is designed to transform the logistics and tourism landscape of Central and Eastern India.FeatureBefore ExpresswayWith Expressway (Estimated)Travel Time12–13 Hours5–6 HoursDistance597 km (via NH-26)465 km (Greenfield)Design Speed40–60 km/h (Ghat roads)100 km/h