The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved a Rs.1,000 crore project to convert state highways into national highways. The project is mainly aimed at connecting Anantapur to the new capital, Amaravati, via Kurnool covering a total distance of 452 km.
Apart from connecting Anantapur to Amaravati by linking National Highway (NH) 44 and NH 65, the project envisages connecting NH 40 and NH 65 via Kurnool, Kadapa and Anantapur over a distance of 132 km. The existing four-lane roads would be expanded to six and eight lanes. Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari has agreed to proposals to this effect by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and sent letters to the AP government.
According to the Chief Minister’s office, the entire project would be taken up in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The Union Ministry has made it clear that land acquisition would be the sole responsibility of the State and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would commence work once the State accorded land clearance. Funds for the project would be drawn from the National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI’s) budget.
Mr. Gadkari also gave an in-principle nod for the proposed 186-km Outer Ring Road (ORR) around Amaravati, which would be the world’s longest ring road connecting the new capital from different directions. It would would give a fillip to economic activity in the new city.
The main purpose of the Government is to enable people to reach the new capital in four to five hours from Srikakulam, Anantapur, Kurnool or Kadapa. Another significant feature of the proposed highway is the quick connection it would establish between the IT hub Bengaluru and the State Capital.
