Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, unveiled significant infrastructure plans for Telangana on Thursday. The state has been approved for national highway projects stretching an impressive 1,174 kilometers, with a budget of ₹30,425 crore. Additionally, 422 kilometers of roads will be developed under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), receiving an allocation of ₹868 crore this year.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in New Delhi, Mr. Reddy confirmed that 26 projects are currently in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) phase. He assured that specific timelines for these projects would be announced once the DPRs are finalized.
The Minister emphasized the critical role of the State government in accelerating forest clearances and land acquisition to ensure these projects commence without delay. He also highlighted the Central government’s strong commitment to road safety and infrastructure, responding actively to proposals from local representatives.
Mr. Reddy further revealed that the Centre is actively considering an ambitious plan to construct a four-lane elevated highway across the Tiger Reserve area. This corridor would link Hyderabad with Srisailam, offering a crucial alternative to the existing road, which is closed at night to protect wildlife.
Quoting Mr. Gadkari, he stated that a decision on building a four-lane road between Hyderabad and Kalwakurthy would be made soon. Mr. Reddy reiterated that projects currently facing delays due to land acquisition can be fast-tracked once these processes are successfully completed.
The cleared highway projects include:
- NH-353C: A 17 km road expansion from Sironcha (Maharashtra) to the Mahadevpur section, with an investment of ₹163.41 crore.
- NH-930P: A 42 km stretch from Gaurelli to Valigonda, costing ₹690 crore.
- NH-565: A 14 km four-lane bypass between Nakirekal and Nagarjuna Sagar, funded with ₹516 crore.
- NH-167K: An iconic 1.1 km cable bridge over the Krishna River at Somasila (on the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana border), valued at ₹1,082.56 crore.
- ₹436.92 crore for 13.4 km of approach roads connecting to the cable bridge.
- ₹674.92 crore for a 69.1 km road expansion from Torrur to Nehru Nagar in Warangal district.
- ₹826.71 crore for improving a 52.1 km section from Nehru Nagar to Kothagudem.
- ₹662.67 crore for a 41.3 km four-lane expansion from Sironcha to Atmakur, with tenders nearing finalization.
- ₹4.97 crore for 4.5 km of vital road repairs on NH-63, spanning from the Maharashtra border to Bodhan.
- ₹18.72 crore for repairing a 28.67 km stretch of NH-365 from Nakirekal to Tanancharla in Andhra Pradesh.
- ₹29.61 crore dedicated to road repairs across multiple 21.5 km sections of NH-930P.
- ₹14.53 crore for 3.24 km of road repairs on NH-61, linking Nirmal to Khanapur.
- ₹16.45 crore for 11.2 km of road repairs in the Bodhan-Basara-Bhainsa section (NH-161BB).
- ₹4.9 crore for constructing a new foot overbridge on NH-565 between Nakirekal and Nagarjuna Sagar.
- ₹2,338 crore for a significant 63.60 km four-lane expansion on NH-63, connecting Jagtial to Mancherial.
- An additional ₹2,548 crore for another 66.295 km four-lane expansion on NH-63, also between Jagtial and Mancherial.
- ₹2,484 crore for a 58.60 km four-lane expansion from Jagtial to Karimnagar (NH-563).
- ₹2,662 crore for an 80.01 km four-lane expansion on NH-167, from Gudebellur to Marikal, forming part of the Hyderabad–Panaji economic corridor.
- ₹344 crore for a 10.36 km bypass route from Hasanpur (Karnataka) to Kaduru (Palamuru).
- A substantial ₹13,957 crore project for a 161.518 km four-lane greenfield regional expressway extending from Girmapur (Medchal) to Tangadapalli.
- ₹53.80 crore for an underpass at CMC Junction and a foot overbridge at Sadashivanagar (NH-44).
- And finally, ₹26.76 crore for a 1 km underpass on NH-163, situated within the Hyderabad–Yadagirigutta section.