AP Speeds Up Repairs on 22,602 km of Roads

Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh government has directed the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department to expedite annual maintenance works covering 22,602 km to ensure pothole-free roads across the state.

Reviewing the department's progress in Vijayawada on Wednesday, Roads and Buildings Minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy said only 53 per cent of the 6,061 km of road development works worth ₹2,500 crore had been completed. He instructed officials to accelerate works, particularly in districts lagging behind schedule, and closely monitor delayed projects worth ₹514 crore.

The minister said Andhra Pradesh has 45,433 km of R&B roads, of which 10,238 km require upgradation. He assured contractors of timely payment of bills for works completed on schedule.

Referring to delays caused by shortages of bitumen, Janardhan Reddy said the government had approved price revisions to offset rising costs and extended the benefit to projects worth up to ₹40 lakh.

He said the coalition government had sanctioned ₹8,530 crore for the department over the past two years, of which ₹4,110 crore had already been released. Officials were directed to set monthly targets to clear pending works, while the minister warned that he would personally inspect underperforming districts next month.

The minister also directed officials to expedite land acquisition for National Highway projects worth ₹72,688 crore and the first six projects proposed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

He said Andhra Pradesh has 8,360 km of National Highways, with 653 km of highway works worth ₹12,500 crore under execution during 2026–27, of which 154 km has already been completed.

During the meeting, Janardhan Reddy launched the department's official YouTube channel, 'WATCH AP RISE', to showcase infrastructure projects and improve public outreach. He also called for the timely completion of CRIF and NDB-funded projects and warned of strict action against contractors who fail to commence sanctioned works.