Hyd–Vijayawada highway set for six-lane upgrade

Hyderabad: The State government has secured approval for the Rs 12,073-crore expansion of National Highway-65 along the Hyderabad–Vijayawada–Machilipatnam corridor into a six-lane highway with two additional service lanes, Roads and Buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said on Friday.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of reviewing arrangements for the Indian Road Congress summit in the city soon, the minister said that the highway project has completed the technical committee-level process, while approval from the Union Cabinet Committee is awaited.

The government would take steps to complete the tendering process within two months and commence work immediately after receiving the final approvals, he said. With traffic volumes on the highway increasing substantially, several accident-prone stretches and black spots had been identified. The proposed expansion would reduce travel time, enhance road safety and boost industrial and commercial activity along the corridor, he added.

Land acquisition for the northern section of the Regional Ring Road (RRR), a key infrastructure project for Telangana, has been completed, Venkat Reddy said the 161.518-km stretch will connect Sangareddy, Narsapur, Toopran, Gajwel, Jagdevpur, Bhongir and Choutuppal.

Tenders had been invited twice earlier but were cancelled because the land acquisition process had not been completed.

With the process now complete, the government is preparing to invite fresh tenders. Work on the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is also nearing completion, he said.

The minister said he also urged the Centre to expedite approvals for a proposed elevated corridor between Mannanur and Srisailam through the Nallamala forest stretch along National Highway-765, connecting Hyderabad with Srisailam. The Detailed Project Report for the proposed 52-km corridor, estimated to cost around `7,600 crore, has been prepared, he said.

Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has directed officials to organise the Indian Road Congress (IRC) as a platform to advance Telangana’s road infrastructure, promote modern technologies, improve road safety and attract investments, rather than treating it as merely a conference.

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Patan Afzal Babu is an experienced journalist specializing in political and state Administration. With over 20 years of writing expertise, Afzal Babu contributes new content in the areas of politics and administration. Afzal has completed post-graduation from Hyderabad Central University (with a specialization in Journalism). Afzal Babu is an accomplished writer with a passion for writing political news and breaking news. With over 20 years of experience, Afzal honed skills in various genres, including major crime news. Afzal’s diverse family history and embracing cultures have enriched writing with unique perspectives.

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