Centre Gives Nod for Widening Hyderabad–Vijayawada Highway
The Central government has given green signal for the widening of Hyderabad–Vijayawada highway, marking a major step toward improving travel safety and efficiency. Land acquisition processes have already begun in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad: The Central government has approved the expansion of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada National Highway (NH 65) from four to six lanes, marking a major infrastructure boost for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Union ministry of road transport and highways issued a notification on Tuesday stating that the six-lane widening will cover 229 km, from the 40th km point to the 269th km point of NH 65. Officials have been appointed in both states to oversee land acquisition for the project.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s sustained efforts over the past two years to secure the Centre’s approval for upgrading the crucial inter-state corridor have finally borne fruit. The project is expected to improve safety, reduce congestion and enhance connectivity between Hyderabad and Vijayawada.
Land acquisition has already begun in Telangana. Officials said the travel time between the two cities will drop by nearly two hours once the project is completed, while accident rates are likely to fall significantly.
In Telangana, revenue divisional officers (RDOs) have been entrusted with land acquisition. In Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, land will be taken from nine villages in Choutuppal mandal. In Nalgonda district, the process covers five villages each in Chityal and Narketpally mandals, four in Kattangur, two in Nakrekal, and four in Kethepally. In Suryapet district, land will be acquired from four villages in Suryapet mandal, six in Chivvemla, four in Kodad, and five in Munagala mandals.
Roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said the `10,391.53-crore project would transform NH-65 into a high-security smart highway with modern infrastructure. To prevent accidents, authorities have identified 17 “black spots” along the route. Work worth `325 crore is already underway to improve these stretches through the construction of underpasses, vehicular subways, flyovers, bridges and service roads, he said.
In areas such as Choutuppal and Chityal, junctions are being redesigned and lane widening is in progress. Proposals are being prepared for an eight-lane, double-decker elevated corridor spanning a 5.5-km stretch between L.B. Nagar and Hayathnagar to ease urban traffic congestion.
Komatireddy said work on the six-lane expansion would begin soon, turning the Hyderabad-Vijayawada route into a faster, safer and smarter express corridor connecting the two Telugu states. RDOs have been instructed to expedite land acquisition, he added.
