Centre Changes RRR from 4-lane to 6-lane Express Highway in 1st Phase

Hyderabad: The Centre has proposed changes in the Hyderabad Regional Ring Road (RRR) project again. After floating tenders to construct a four-lane expressway as part of the northern section of RRR initially, the Centre has now proposed to expand it into a six-lane express highway.

Official sources said the Union ministry of road transport and highways has given in-principle approval for constructing the northern segment of RRR as a six-lane expressway. Following this, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated traffic studies and is also revising the Detailed Project Report (DPR), which was initially prepared for a four-lane road, to suit a six-lane configuration.

Since tenders for the road construction were already invited earlier, the authorities have decided not to call for fresh tenders but to proceed with the existing ones. Agencies that have already submitted bids will be asked to revise and resubmit their documents in line with the updated six-lane DPR.

The state government had requested the Centre to consider building the RRR as a six-lane road instead of four lanes, citing potential future traffic congestion issues. The Centre recently gave its in-principle approval for this request. Accordingly, NHAI began modifying the DPR to reflect the new six-lane design and commenced a traffic study along the route.

Tenders for the construction of the RRR’s northern segment from Sangareddy to Choutuppal were originally invited by NHAI on December 28, 2024. The total estimated cost of this segment was estimated at `5,554.02 crore. The proposed length is 161.5 km, and it was initially planned as a four-lane, access-controlled, greenfield regional expressway under the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode.

As per the original tender notice, the deadline for completing the project was set at two years, with a five-year maintenance period. The last date for submission of financial and technical bids was February 14, 2025, and the tenders were to be opened on February 17. However, tenders have not been opened yet, as the Centre is now considering upgrading the project to a six-lane highway.

Although the RRR was originally envisioned as an eight-lane road, the Centre initially opted for a four-lane model based on then-existing traffic studies, with plans to expand to eight lanes in phases. The Centre also directed the state government to acquire land for an eight-lane corridor. The road was to be built initially as a four-lane and later upgraded depending on future traffic growth. However, the Centre has now revised its stance, deciding to construct the road as a six-lane highway from the outset and expand it to eight lanes in the future. The reasoning is that traffic demand would likely surpass the capacity of a four-lane road by the time construction is complete.

Meanwhile, officials say land acquisition for RRR northern part is nearly complete. The cost of land acquisition is being shared equally by the state and Central governments on a 50:50 basis.

Separately, the state government has begun preparing the DPR for the southern segment of the RRR and has recently appointed an agency for this purpose. While the Centre is bearing total expenses for construction of the northern part of RRR, it is not yet clear whether RRR southern part will be built by Centre or by state government itself.