Gadkari Gives In-Principle Approval To Four-Lane NH 42
Gadkari responded positively to the proposal and agreed in principle to the widening: Official press release
ANANTAPUR: Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari has given in-principle approval to widen into four lanes the 71.25-km stretch of National Highway 42 connecting Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
AP Finance minister Payyavula Keshav met Gadkari in New Delhi on Saturday and submitted a letter seeking upgrading of the highway. The road passes through the Uravakonda assembly constituency in Anantapur district.
According to an official press release, Gadkari responded positively to the proposal and agreed in principle to the widening.
Keshav said the existing two-lane highway has several sharp curves and inadequate horizontal and vertical alignments, particularly along stretches passing through villages and residential areas. Ten accident black spots have been identified along the route.
The proposed four laning is expected to improve road safety, ease traffic movement, and strengthen connectivity to towns and villages in the district.
The stretch, from kilometre 4/350 to 75/600, passes through Anantapur district headquarters and mandals of Uravakonda, Kuderu, and Vidapanakallu, besides several villages and densely populated settlements. The route had been upgraded from a State Highway to National Highway in 2010.
NH 42 begins at Joldarasi on NH 67 in Karnataka and passes through Uravakonda, Anantapur, Raptadu, Kadiri, Palamaner, and Kuppam before terminating at Krishnagiri on NH 48 in Tamil Nadu.
The Anantapur stretch had been widened into a two-lane road with paved shoulders in 2015–16. However, major geometric improvements and bypasses had not been undertaken, leaving hazardous curves and sections passing through habitations.
Minister Keshav urged the centre to prioritise the four-laning in view of growing traffic and road safety concerns.