2,000km Of New Roads To Be Erected At A Cost Of Rs 1,000 Crore: CM
The Chief Minister, who held a review meeting with the roads and bridges department on Thursday said these repairs must continue even during the monsoon and be completed at the earliest.
Vijayawada:Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to construct 2,000km of roads in the state at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
The cost estimations and the tender process must begin immediately. An additional Rs 500 crore will be allocated for repairing damaged roads across the state, the CM said.
The Chief Minister, who held a review meeting with the roads and bridges department on Thursday said these repairs must continue even during the monsoon and be completed at the earliest.
Naidu sought detailed updates on the condition of roads across the state. He said the previous government had grossly neglected road construction and maintenance. The roads, thus, remained in a bad state.
The CM directed officials to submit a comprehensive report within 15 days, outlining the roads that require repairs, the new roads that need to be laid, and the roads that require regular maintenance.
Traditional methods of road construction, he said, are not only financially burdensome but also compromised on quality. The most modern and advanced techniques must be adopted for laying roads.
Officials informed the CM that repairs had already been completed for around 20,000km of roads, ensuring they are pothole-free.
He said, “Our state roads must be on par with national highways. Every road must be built as per the specified quality standards. As soon as the monsoon ends, road construction must begin, possibly by November.”
“Details such as which contractor built a road and who is maintaining it must be made available online. CCTV cameras should be installed every 50km for all roads. Maintenance of all roads in the state must be handed over to contractors, and preventive measures must be taken to ensure that roads are not damaged during the rainy season.”
Officials informed the CM that Andhra Pradesh has 12,653km of state highways. Roads with a length over 20km are suitable for development under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. There are 260 such roads, adding up to 10,200km, which qualify for PPP development.
Out of these, 18 roads spanning 1,332km with high traffic density have been proposed under Phase 1A. Another 67 roads, each over 40km long, totaling 3,854km, have been proposed under Phase 1B. Additionally, 175 roads ranging between 20km and 40km, totaling to 5,039km have been proposed under Phase 2.
Two more roads, the Yelamanchili-Gajuwaka and Gajulamandyam-Sri City (SEZ), spanning 115km, have also been identified for development under the PPP model.
The Chief Minister asked officials to conduct further studies and submit a final report on these proposals.
