Home to one of India’s most talked-about expressway projects, NH 275 runs 367 km entirely within Karnataka, connecting Bengaluru to Bantwal near Mangaluru. Its most famous stretch — the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway — has genuinely transformed travel between the state’s two largest cities since opening in March 2023, cutting what used to be a congested, hours-long drive down to roughly 75-90 minutes.
NH 275 Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Starting point | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Ending point | Bantwal, Karnataka (near Mangaluru) |
| Total length | Approximately 367 km |
| States covered | 1 — entirely within Karnataka |
| Also known as | Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway (first 119 km); part of Bengaluru-Mangaluru Economic Corridor |
| Bengaluru-Mysuru stretch | 119 km, 6-to-10-lane access-controlled expressway, opened March 12, 2023 |
| Beyond Mysuru | Four-lane highway continuing via Madikeri to Bantwal |
| Major towns linked | Ramanagara, Mandya, Mysuru, Madikeri, Sullia |
| Speed limit | 100 km/h maximum (even on the expressway section — not 120 km/h) |
Where NH 275 Begins and Ends
NH 275 starts in Bengaluru and runs southwest through Karnataka, terminating at Bantwal, a town roughly 25 km east of central Mangaluru. The highway connects three of Karnataka’s most significant cities — Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Mangaluru — making it one of the state’s most economically important road corridors, alongside its growing reputation as a major infrastructure achievement given the expressway upgrade on its first stretch.
The Route: Expressway First, Then Highway
The defining feature of NH 275 is how differently its two halves function. From Bengaluru to Mysuru, the highway runs as a genuine access-controlled expressway — 119 km of six-to-ten-lane carriageway, with the six-lane section forming the main elevated roadway and two additional lanes on either side serving as service roads. This stretch bypasses several previously congested towns including Bidadi, Ramanagara-Channapatna, Maddur, Mandya, and Srirangapattana, all of which used to slow down the old four-lane route considerably.
Beyond Mysuru, the character changes. NH 275 continues as a standard four-lane highway through Hunsur, Periyapatna, and Kushalanagar before reaching Madikeri, the hill station capital of Kodagu (Coorg) district. From Madikeri, the highway continues through Sullia and Puttur before finally reaching Bantwal near Mangaluru.
The Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway: What Makes It Different
This is genuinely one of India’s more significant recent highway infrastructure projects, and it’s worth understanding what sets it apart from an ordinary four-lane highway upgrade. Built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana at a project cost of roughly ₹8,066 crore, the expressway begins near Bidadi and connects directly to Mysuru’s Outer Ring Road.
Critically, this isn’t just a wider road — it’s access-controlled, meaning entry and exit points are managed specifically to keep traffic flowing without the interruptions of local town access that plagued the old route. Two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and tractors are strictly prohibited from using the main expressway carriageway and must instead use the parallel service roads, a restriction worth knowing if you’re travelling by anything other than a car or larger vehicle.
Toll Rates on the Expressway Section
As of the NHAI’s most recent revision, the per-plaza one-way toll for cars, SUVs, and vans stands at ₹170, with multiple toll plazas positioned along the expressway route. Total cost for a full Bengaluru-to-Mysuru journey depends on your specific entry and exit points, since not every traveller uses the complete stretch end to end. NHAI revises these rates annually based on the Wholesale Price Index, so it’s worth checking the official NHAI portal for current rates before travelling rather than relying on a fixed figure.
Why the Speed Limit Might Surprise You
Given how the Bengaluru-Mysuru stretch is often described as a premium expressway, it’s genuinely worth flagging that the maximum permissible speed remains capped at 100 km/h — not the 120 km/h that some of India’s newer expressways allow. This applies uniformly across NH 275’s expressway section, and overspeeding here results in standard traffic fines and penalties like any other stretch of highway.
Beyond Mysuru: Madikeri and the Western Ghats Stretch
Once past Mysuru, NH 275 enters considerably different terrain as it approaches Madikeri, Kodagu’s hill station capital known for coffee plantations and cooler climate. This stretch remains four-lane rather than expressway-standard, and the terrain becomes genuinely hillier as the route continues toward Sullia and Puttur before reaching Bantwal near the coast.
Looking Ahead: Expansion Plans
There’s active government interest in extending expressway-standard infrastructure further along this corridor — specifically, expanding NH 275 from Mysuru all the way to Mangaluru, which would create a genuine Bengaluru-Mangaluru Expressway spanning the entire current route. This remains a longer-term vision rather than a committed, funded project at present, so travellers on the Mysuru-to-Bantwal stretch should continue to expect standard four-lane highway conditions for the foreseeable future rather than expressway-grade infrastructure.
Challan Rules on NH 275
Standard Motor Vehicles Act penalties apply throughout, since NH 275 sits entirely within Karnataka, with overspeeding fines following the state’s standard rates. Given the expressway section’s strict access controls and vehicle-type restrictions, violations here — particularly two-wheelers or tractors attempting to use the main carriageway — face specific enforcement attention beyond standard speed monitoring.
FAQs
Q1. Why is the speed limit only 100 km/h if the Bengaluru-Mysuru stretch is a modern expressway?
NHAI has set the maximum permissible speed at 100 km/h for this expressway specifically, unlike some other Indian expressways that allow 120 km/h. This applies uniformly across the six-to-ten-lane section, so don’t assume higher speeds are permitted just because the infrastructure supports them.
Q2. Can I ride a two-wheeler on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway?
No — two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and tractors are strictly prohibited from the main expressway carriageway and must use the parallel service roads instead. This is a firm restriction, not a casual guideline.
Q3. How much should I budget for tolls on a full Bengaluru-to-Mysuru trip?
The per-plaza one-way toll for cars is ₹170 as of the latest NHAI revision, but total cost depends on how many plazas your specific entry and exit points require you to pass. Check the official NHAI portal for current rates before travelling, since these are revised annually.
Q4. Is the Mysuru-to-Bantwal stretch as fast and modern as the expressway section?
No — beyond Mysuru, NH 275 reverts to a standard four-lane highway through hillier terrain via Madikeri, rather than continuing as an access-controlled expressway. While there’s discussion of extending expressway-grade infrastructure this far eventually, current travellers should plan for standard highway conditions and correspondingly longer travel times on this portion.
