The stage is set for rehabilitation and upgradation of a 44-km road stretch of Rudrampur-Bhadrachalam section and 49.80-km stretch of Andhra Pradesh/Telangana border -- Rudrampur section of National Highway 221 (New NH 30) in Telangana State -- at an estimated cost of Rs. 539 crore.
According to official sources, the 44 km stretch of the NH 221 between Rudrampur and Bhadrachalam will be widened into two-lane with paved shoulders with a provision of four-lane divided carriageway at an expenditure of Rs. 295.47 crore.
One toll plaza and 12 bus stops at six different locations will come up on this stretch under the upgradation project, the sources added.
A 49.80-km stretch of the NH 221 from km 71.200 to 121.000 km (AP/Telangana border-Rudrampur section) will be upgraded at an estimated cost of Rs. 244.30 crore.
A toll plaza will come up at km 87.000 and 24 bus stops at 12 separate locations along the 49.80 km stretch.
Work on construction of a high-level bridge of 1.20 km length and 12.00 meters width is also poised to start at an expenditure of Rs. 98.45 crore in Bhadrachalam.
The new bridge will come up adjacent to the existing old bridge across the Godavari on NH-221 connecting Ibrahimpatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Jagadalpur in Chhattisgarh.
It is expected to improve road connectivity between Telangana-Andhra Pradesh-Chhattisgarh and boost inter-State trading activities.
It will be of immense help in reducing traffic congestion on the existing old bridge in the temple town.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will lay the foundation stones for the new bridge and the NH-221 upgradation project in Bhadrachalam on Wednesday morning.
Later, the Union Minister will address a public meeting along with Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya at V M Banjara village in Penuballi mandal in the afternoon.
