Poor Road Diverts Nanded–Hyderabad Traffic to SNA Route

 Nizamabad: The decades old travel route from Nanded to Hyderabad via Nizamabad has been recently diverted. Poor road conditions between the Maharashtra-Telangana border at Saluru in Bodhan and Dichpally via Nizamabad have forced travellers to use the Sangareddy-Nanded-Akola (SNA) alternative. Residents of Nizamabad are concerned about the inter-state road’s condition.

Previously, people from Nanded, Parbhani, Jalna, and nearby Maharashtra districts preferred the Bodhan-Nizamabad-Hyderabad route to reach Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) and visit family or conduct business. The four-lane National Highway 44 offered a safe, comfortable journey.

Former MP B.B. Patil spearheaded the widening of the SNA road up to Madnoor in Kamareddy district. As a result, many Nanded travellers now go via Madnoor, Pitlam, and Jogipet, rather than through Nizamabad. The SNA route covers 282 km and takes about five hours, compared to 290 km and over six hours via Nizamabad.

Despite heavy traffic between Bodhan and Nizamabad, planned road widening remains incomplete. Railway overbridge projects at Arsapally and Madhavanagar are severely delayed, causing further hardship. To improve connectivity on the Nanded-Hyderabad via Nizamabad route, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan initiated road-widening work between Saluru and Dichpally; however, local Telugu leaders have not responded positively.

“Travelling on the SNA road to Hyderabad is far more comfortable,” said Mahender, a Nanded native, in an interview with the Deccan Chronicle. “We visit Hyderabad regularly, especially for medical treatment. The narrow stretch between Saluru and Dichpally is prone to fatal accidents. Elected representatives in Nizamabad district must act to benefit people in both Telangana and Maharashtra.”