Nellore-Tada Six-Lane Highway Picks Momentum

Nellore: Motorists travelling on National Highway-16 between Nellore and Tada may soon see relief from the increasing traffic congestion, with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) initiating steps to upgrade the remaining four-lane stretch into a six-lane corridor.

While the NH-16 from Tada to Visakhapatnam has largely been expanded to six lanes over the years, the crucial Nellore-Tada section has remained a bottleneck. The delay is primarily attributed to a long-term concession agreement with the existing highway operator, which has prevented immediate six-lane works, despite growing traffic volumes.

In a significant development, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has now proposed upgrading the existing four-lane Nellore-Tada stretch, along with the Nellore Bypass, to a six-lane configuration. NHAI is preparing a detailed project report (DPR) on the expansion and has initiated consultations with stakeholders for finalising the section’s alignment.

In this regard, district collector Himanshu Shukla has convened a high-level stakeholders' meeting on June 20 at the Collectorate. The meeting will gather inputs from revenue, railway, irrigation, forest, municipal, and various utility departments before the alignment of the Nellore-Tada stretch is finalised.

The proposed expansion is expected to improve traffic flow, enhance road safety, and strengthen connectivity between Andhra Pradesh and Chennai.

For thousands of daily commuters and freight operators, the long-awaited six-laning could finally remove the last bottleneck on one of India's busiest national highways.