In a significant infrastructure boost for Andhra Pradesh, the central government has approved the construction of the Amaravati Outer Ring Road (ORR) with a width of 140 meters. This marks a key victory for Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who successfully persuaded the Centre to revise the earlier plan of a 70-meter-wide ORR to accommodate future growth and traffic needs in the upcoming capital region.
Originally, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had cleared a 70-meter-wide, 189-km ORR. However, Chandrababu Naidu argued that a wider corridor was necessary to match Amaravati’s vision as a model city and to handle projected traffic over the next 50 years. In response, the Centre agreed to enhance the ORR width to 140 meters.
As part of this upgraded plan, the Andhra Pradesh government will bear an additional ₹1,000 crore for land acquisition. While the decision was taken during a high-level meeting between CM Naidu and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi on March 5, the official minutes were received only recently, prompting authorities to now realign the land acquisition accordingly.
Bypasses and Link Roads: Strategic Connectivity Boost
Due to the cancellation of the proposed Eastern Bypass for Vijayawada—considered redundant given its parallel alignment with the ORR—the Centre has approved two new link roads as alternatives:
- A 17.5 km link road connecting Vijayawada Western Bypass (ending at Kaja on NH-16) to the ORR near Tenali.
- A 5.2 km link road connecting NH-16 at Budampadu (near Guntur) to the ORR near Narakodur.
Four underpasses and service roads will also be built along the Vijayawada Western Bypass, which stretches from Gollapudi through the capital region to Kaja. These structures will be taken up in phases once the bypass is completed.
Highway Expansion to Guntur Gets a Green Signal
In a key upgrade, the Centre has approved the expansion of National Highway 544D—connecting Anantapur to Guntur—into four lanes from Vinukonda to the Chennai-Kolkata Highway. Although 84.80 km had already been approved for widening up to the ORR, CM Naidu requested the expansion of the remaining 24.85 km, which has now been cleared, ensuring seamless four-lane connectivity to Guntur.
Visakhapatnam Set for Major Urban Corridor Overhaul
In Visakhapatnam, the Centre has greenlit elevated corridors across 12 key junctions on the old Chennai-Kolkata highway between Lankelapalem and Madhuravada Carshed Junction:
- A 15 km elevated stretch covering the first eight junctions.
- An 8 km elevated segment for the next three junctions.
- A dedicated bridge at the final junction.
Importantly, since the Metro Rail project also passes through 10 of these junctions, the elevated corridors and metro structures will be developed as a single integrated infrastructure project, modeled after Nagpur.
Additional Infrastructure Projects Across the State
The Centre and state have also jointly fast-tracked several other infrastructure projects:
- DPR (Detailed Project Report) preparation for a 56 km four-lane greenfield highway between Kuppam and Hosur (Tamil Nadu) to be completed in nine months.
- Expedited DPRs for:
- 226 km six/eight-lane highway from Hyderabad to Gollapudi (Vijayawada).
- Six-lane expansion of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam highway.
- A new DPR to link Kakinada Port with the Kathipudi-Ongole Highway, enhancing port-hinterland connectivity.
Nellore Bypass Toll Plaza Controversy
The Chennai-Kolkata Highway bypass in Nellore spans 17.16 km. However, a proposed toll plaza—pending since 2015—has faced strong public opposition. In response, Union Minister Gadkari has suggested relocating the toll plaza beyond city limits to address the concerns of local residents.
