The Central Government has greenlit a ₹7,100 crore project to upgrade the Hyderabad–Vijayawada highway into a six-lane expressway.
The 161.5-kilometre stretch between Sangareddy and Choutuppal will undergo a complete overhaul, addressing both commuter concerns and critical infrastructure needs along National Highway 65 (NH-65), one of the busiest arterial roads in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This expansion has been long anticipated due to frequent bottlenecks and increasing road mishaps, especially in accident-prone zones such as Nalgonda, Suryapet, and Nandigama. Once completed, the expressway is expected to ease traffic congestion, significantly improve safety standards, and ensure faster, more reliable transit between Hyderabad and Vijayawada, serving thousands of vehicles daily including heavy cargo transport vital to the local and national economy.
The highway project reflects a broader infrastructure agenda that has seen Telangana’s national highway network more than double over the last decade. From just 2,500 kilometres in 2014, the state now boasts over 5,200 kilometres of national roads. This growth underscores an aggressive push to position Telangana as a logistics and economic hub in South India, aligning with India’s larger goals of developing net-zero, sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure. This new six-lane expressway also addresses environmental and social concerns. By reducing traffic jams and travel time, it aims to curb fuel wastage and vehicle emissions contributing indirectly to India’s climate goals. Moreover, safer and better-designed roadways could reduce fatal accidents and protect vulnerable commuters, making mobility more equitable for all users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
The decision to move ahead with this expressway comes as part of an ongoing ₹1.26 trillion investment drive by the Centre in Telangana’s transport infrastructure over the last ten years. While the financial commitment is significant, the return on investment is expected to be manifold—with the expressway likely to trigger economic activity across industrial corridors, small businesses, and logistics firms operating between the two cities. Construction on the highway is scheduled to commence within the next three months. With contracts to be awarded soon, the project is anticipated to create hundreds of jobs during the construction phase while catalysing long-term opportunities in trade, real estate, and local services. It is also poised to benefit towns along the corridor, offering them greater access to education, healthcare, and commerce, thereby reducing rural-urban disparity in access.
While the expressway promises tangible benefits, its true success will depend on ensuring timely execution, environmental safeguards during construction, and minimal displacement for affected communities. With urbanisation accelerating across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, projects like these are not just infrastructural necessities but also vital instruments of social and economic transformation.
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