State Highways To National Highways

Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Tuesday requested the Centre to upgrade the status of 23 State highways to that of national highways.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rosaiah stated that upgrading the roads was urgently needed to develop the State economy by facilitating inter-state intra-state movement.

Rosaiah stated that there were 17 national highways crisscrossing the State over a combined length of 4,730 km. He stated that the highway density at 1.65 was lesser than the average density of the country at 2.146. The Chief Minister pointed out that the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu had densities of 2.29, 3.76 and 3.72 respectively.

The Chief Minister named the Hyderabad to Nandyal via Dornala (354 km), Nizampatnam to Kodur via Nandyal and Tadaparthy (625 km), Adilabad to Vadarevu via Surayapet and Mirayalaguda (630 km), Sironcha to Renigunta via Nakrekal and Nalgonda (725 km), Kakinada to Suryapet (310), Krishnapatnam Port to Gooty (353 km), Vishakapatnam to Chinturu (238 km), Visakhapatnam to Araku Border (126 km), Nirmal to Luxettipeta (108 km), Rajahmundry to Charla (293 km), Galgon to Kodad (390 km), Kodad to Anantapur (580 km), Tada to Kadapa (208 km), Gudur to Madakasira (9356 km), Penuginda to Hirayur (9133 km), Sangareddy -Narsapaur-Chital-Chevella-Sangareddy (367 km), Pamarru to Challapalli road (27 km) , Sangareddy to Akola 9141 km), Hyderabad to Bodhan (156 km), Tirupati to Naidupet (58.10 km), Hyderabad to Kodangal (132.269 km), Anantpur to Raichur via Uravakonda (74.5 km), Nandyal to Aiza (186.545 km) as the roads to be given the status of national highways.

Considering the strategic location of the State with respect to the neighbouring states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and others, the proposed length of over 6500 km roads, if notified as national highways, would envisage better growth of the economy. This will also help in the completion of the Jalayagnam irrigation project.

The Chief Minister also pointed out in his letter that a network grid would help connect with ports, industrial and tourist centres.

Courtesy: INN