Andhra Pradesh: Over 1400 KMs of road projects worth about Rs 15,600 crore launched by CM Jagan and Union Minister Gadkari

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy and Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari have together inaugurated and laid the foundation in a virtual mode of 61 road projects in the state worth about Rs 15,600 crore.

The total length of the network to come in use through these completed and to be constructed roads is 1411 KMs.

Among the projects dedicated to the public on Friday are the 2.6 km long six-lane Kanakadurga flyover constructed at a cost of Rs 502 crore, and the 2.3 km long Benz Circle flyover costing Rs 80 crore. The flyovers located in Vijayawada are expected to significantly reduce the traffic congestion along the national highways passing through the city.

Interacting through a video conference with Gadkari, who logged in from Nagpur, CM Reddy sought the centre’s help in taking up eight more projects including the four-lane bypass road from Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram airport.

While the Reddy government has planned to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital of Andhra Pradesh, Bhogapuram, 60 KMs away from Vizag, is where a greenfield international airport will be coming up.

"There is a need to build an alternative road connecting Visakhapatnam and Bhogapuram airport. This can be taken up as a coastal highway project by turning the Beach Road into a four-lane highway,” Reddy told Gadkari.

Reddy, whose recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi has led to speculation that the YSRCP could be joining the NDA government at the centre, was in profuse praise of the infrastructure development in the country in the last six years.

Reddy thanked Modi and Gadkari for their vision, expanding the pace of highway construction from 12 km per day in 2014 to 30 km per day now. He also thanked them for initiating work on 22 greenfield highways of which six have a length of 375 kms in Andhra Pradesh.