The foundation for the 4-laning of the 182-km stretch of National Highway-9 was laid at Narketpally on Sunday evening. The Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways R P N Singh, who was present at the ceremony, said that the 4-laning of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada section of the NH-9, being constructed on a Built Operate Transfer (BOT) basis under NHDP Phase-III, would be completed by October 2012.
The NH-9, which begins at Pune in Maharashtra, extends over 841 km, with 336 km in Maharashtra, 75 km in Karnataka and 430 km in Andhra Pradesh, finally ending at Machilipatnam.
Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, was present at the function along with Union Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy. Rosaiah said that improved road infrastructure fosters the comprehensive development of backward areas. Mr. Jaipal Reddy expressed happiness that the project, sanctioned in November 2007 but having faced technical difficulties and legal proceedings, finally took off.