RRR South in Limbo As Centre Sits on Alignment
Telangana seeks central scheme backing to build 201-km stretch alongside north section
Hyderabad: The Regional Ring Road (RRR) south section has hit another hurdle, with the Central government yet to take a decision on the alignment submitted by the Telangana government. The project, sources said, has not been included under any central scheme so far.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is taking up the RRR north section under the Centre's Bharatmala Pariyojana. The state government urged the Centre to bring the south section too under Bharatmala Pariyojana or any other central scheme and take up its works simultaneously with the northern stretch.
The development came to light after officials of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) responded to a recent letter from the Telangana roads and buildings department seeking details on the status of the south section. The MoRTH stated that no decision was taken on RRR south section alignment as the project was not included under any central scheme so far. The delay in approving the alignment has raised doubts over whether the works on the northern and southern sections can proceed simultaneously.
The state government has already submitted the proposed alignment of the south section to the MoRTH and has been requesting the Centre to approve it so that construction can progress in parallel with the north section. The north section is 161.51 km long, while the proposed south section extends for 201 km, taking the total length of the RRR to 362.51 km. However, a final decision on the alignment of the south section is still awaited.
The state government had earlier submitted a detailed project report (DPR) for the south section, with the proposed alignment passing through Future City. The 201-km greenfield, six-lane expressway is proposed to run from Thangadpalli in Choutuppal mandal of Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district to Sangareddy. The proposed route will connect National Highways 65, 44, 163, 19 and 76.
The south section alignment passes through 55 habitations spread across Sangareddy, Nagarkurnool, Rangareddy, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, Vikarabad, Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts. The state government has estimated that 2,010 hectares of land would be required for the project and has submitted the alignment along with the land acquisition details to the Centre. The alignment is currently pending with the Centre for approval.
The state government has been pressing for the south section to be taken up alongside the RRR north section. Tenders have already been invited for the four-lane north section, while Telangana has requested the Centre to expand it to six lanes. The Union Cabinet had earlier approved the RRR north section as a six-lane project.
Once completed, the RRR is expected to improve regional connectivity and facilitate industrial development in the districts surrounding Hyderabad. The state government has been maintaining that the integrated northern and southern sections would strengthen connectivity to the capital region and support the development of new industrial and urban growth corridors between Outer Ring Road (ORR) and RRR. The state is continuing its efforts to coordinate with the Centre for early approval and implementation of the south section.
