Vijayawada West Bypass Opens Partially, Provides Major Relief

Officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) formally inaugurated the stretch with traditional pooja before allowing the traffic.

The stretch involved one carriageway of the bypass from Kaja village in Mangalagiri mandal to Pedavutpalli in Krishna district. At present, all categories of vehicles are permitted to use the road. This move itself has begun easing traffic pressure on Vijayawada city roads.

The strategic importance of the West bypass lies in the fact that it forms part of the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway 16. The corridor has been constructed across the Krishna River, upstream of the Prakasam Barrage. It passes through the capital city of Amaravati, providing a crucial alternative route for long-distance traffic.

Speaking to media, NHAI project director T. Parvathisam said traffic is currently being allowed on one side of the bypass, as its construction has been completed. He underlined that vehicles travelling towards Kolkata or Hyderabad from Chennai could now bypass Vijayawada city entirely by using this road, significantly reducing congestion within the urban limits.

The bypass also connects NH 16 with NH 65, which links Vijayawada and Hyderabad. This enables vehicles from Guntur to head directly towards Amaravati, Hyderabad or Eluru without entering the city. This is expected to reduce heavy vehicle movement within Vijayawada, improving road safety and cutting travel time.

Parvathisam said the second carriageway is progressing rapidly. It would be opened to traffic by the last week of February or early March.

Once both sides are operational, a toll gate will be established at Venkatapalem village in Amaravati Capital Region.

The Vijayawada West bypass, spanning nearly 48 km and being developed as a six-lane highway, is expected to provide long-term relief from traffic congestion while boosting freight movement and regional development across Andhra Pradesh.