Highway projects will change face of Telangana, asserts Gadkari

Hyderabad, May 5 (IANS) Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that highway projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore will be undertaken in Telangana in the next 3-4 years and exuded confidence that they will change the face of the state.

He stated that new greenfield expressway highway projects worth about Rs 1 lakh crore were currently underway.

Addressing a public meeting at Sirpur Kagaznagar in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, after inaugurating or laying foundation for national highway projects worth Rs 3,900 crore, Gadkari said that these projects will significantly boost the economy, create employment opportunities, and enhance seamless connectivity. By easing congestion, enabling cost-efficient travel, and improving overall logistics efficiency, they represent a major step forward in transforming the state's infrastructure.

The Union Minister stated that the Centre is fully committed to the development of Telangana.

He mentioned that the length of national highways in Telangana was 2,511 km in 2014 when he became the minister and the same has now doubled to about 5,000 km.

"Works worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore have been completed in Telangana, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. In the next 3-4 years, we will undertake works worth Rs 2 lakh crore, and I am confident that this will change the face of Telangana," he said.

Gadkari listed out some of the greenfield express highway projects undertaken in the state.

The Indore-Hyderabad Expressway, a 770 km project, has been taken up at a cost of 17,000 crore. This Expressway will have a length of 136 km in Telangana. He said 100 percent work of the work in Telangana has been completed completed at a cost of Rs.4,500 crore.

The Expressway, which will pass through Kamareddy, Medak, and Sangareddy in Telangana, will be completed by March 2026 and reduce travel time between Indore and Hyderabad from 20 hours to 10 hours.

The Surat-Solapur-Kurnool-Chennai Expressway of 1,100 km, which also passes through Telangana, will be completed next year, connecting north to the south and fulfilling the dream of Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He said he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to travel by road from Himachal Pradesh to Kanyakumari.

The minister said this expressway would traverse 78 km in Telangana connecting Kurnool in neighbrouing Andhra Pradesh. The expressway is expected to reduce the distance between Surat and Chennai by 300 km and cut down travel time from 28 hours to 17 hours.

Gadkari said the Suryapet to Devarapalli greenfield expressway will be 221 km long and it has been taken up at a cost of Rs. 8,000 crore. It is part of the Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam corridor. The expressway will traverse a length of 164 km in Telangana and will pass through Suryapet and Khammam districts. This is expected to reduce travel time between Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam from 12 hours to 6 hours.

The Nagpur-Vijayawada Expressway will be 565 km long with a project cost of Rs 16,000 crore. In Telangana, it will have a length of 401 km, and this will cost Rs 13,328 crore. The Expressway will pass through Asifabad, Mancherial, Bhupalapally, Hanamkonda, Warangal and Khammam and reduce the distance between Nagpur and Vijayawada by 175 km and cut down travel time from 13 hours to 6 hours.

Gadkari said Hyderabad-Panaji Corridor has been taken up at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore for a distance of 563 km. It will cover a distance of 90 km in Telangana and pass through Mahabubnagar and Jadcherla to join the National Highway 44. This is expected to reduce travel time between Hyderabad and Panaji from 15 hours to 7 hours.

Referring to the backwardness of Komaram Bheem Asifabad and adjoining districts, Gadkari stressed the need for focusing on water, power, transport and infrastructure for their development.

He mentioned the water conservation works he undertook in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, where 10,000 farmers had committed suicide. He offered to help Telangana in desilting dams and water bodies free of cost to improve their water storage capacity.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Telangana’s Minister for Roads and Buildings Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and others were present.

--IANS

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