Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway to be upgraded to six-lane expressway: All about the Rs 7,000 cr project

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Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Saturday announced that the Central Government is working on a major infrastructure project, a six-lane expressway between Hyderabad and Vijayawada. This new development aims to greatly improve road connectivity between the two major cities.
The plan involves upgrading the existing four-lane highway into a six-lane one. According to the government, this expansion will help reduce the number of accidents on the busy stretch, especially between the areas of Nalgonda, Suryapet, and Nandigama. his section will cover 161.518 kilometres from Sangareddy to Choutuppal. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 7,104.06 crore.

Back in 2010, during the UPA government's tenure, the road between Vijayawada and Hyderabad was widened from two lanes to four lanes (NH 65). Now, the current government is taking it a step further to meet the growing traffic demand and ensure safer travel, Reddy said.

One of the key people said to have influenced this move is Telangana minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy. He comes from Nalgonda district, a region along the highway. Reports suggest that he played a major role in convincing Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to approve the widening project. Venkata Reddy reportedly highlighted the large number of road accidents on the stretch, as his son, Prateek Reddy, also tragically died in a road accident on the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road.

Speaking at an event before the inauguration of the Amberpet flyover, G Kishan Reddy also shared plans to develop new roads that will shorten travel time from Hyderabad to Srisailam, a significant religious site that attracts many pilgrims. Srisailam is home to one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and one of the eighteen Shakti Peethas.

Reddy said that good roads are very essential for attracting businesses and promoting development in the region. The minister pointed out that the Union Government has spent over Rs 1.26 lakh crore in the past ten years to improve road infrastructure. In 2014, Telangana had only 2,500 kilometres of national highways. Today, that number has more than doubled to 5,200 kilometres, reaching almost every district in the state.

He said the government is ready to build roads wherever needed. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is scheduled to inaugurate the Rs 400-crore Amberpet flyover on May 5, with G Kishan Reddy overseeing the final preparations as the local MP from Secunderabad.