Somashila’s skyline to sparkle with mega glass bridge: Eatala

Hyderabad: Malkajigir MP Etala Rajender asserted that the once-neglected roads of rural India are currently witnessing a major transformation, with Somashila emerging as a symbolic representation of this infrastructural change.

He recalled that decades ago, roads across the country were riddled with potholes and suffered from poor connectivity. The situation began to see improvement during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who launched the pivotal Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to connect villages with asphalt roads, alongside initiating national highway projects under the Bharat Mala scheme.

Rajender highlighted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, infrastructure spending has reached unprecedented levels, with lakhs of crores of rupees invested in building double roads and expanding the national highway network. Officials have noted that more kilometres of double-lane roads have been constructed in the past 11 years than the total length of national highways laid before 2014. In line with this national vision, Sudhakar Rao, during his 2018 election campaign, promised major development works in the region. “Today, that promise is taking shape with projects worth Rs 3,000 crore,” stated Rajender.

This total allocation includes Rs 2,000 crore earmarked for the critical Nagarkurnool–Nandyal road, while Rs 1,000 crore has been officially sanctioned for the construction of what will be the largest glass bridge in the country, connecting Somashila on one bank to Nandeswaram on the other.

Rajender mentioned that Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari personally visited the site. Once completed, the monumental bridge will reduce the distance to Tirupati by 70 kilometres, significantly cutting travel time and offering a major boost to regional connectivity.

The project is also expected to spur large-scale tourism development, firmly establishing Somashila as a major national attraction.

The MP stressed that despite the BJP not holding power locally, its leaders successfully persuaded authorities to sanction these ambitious projects.

District leaders, including Rajender, former MLA Guvvala Balaraju, Sudhakar Rao and Girivardhan Reddy already inspected the river site where the bridge will rise, marking a significant milestone in Telangana’s infrastructure journey.