Gadkari approves highway projects in Andhra, Bengal

New Delhi, Feb 24:  Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has sanctioned Rs 1,292.65 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana for the development of 32 km long 6-lane access controlled greenfield highway from Chandrasekharapuram to Polavaram on (NH-544G) Bengaluru-Vijayawada Economic Corridor in Hybrid Annuity Mode in Andhra Pradesh.

In a series of tweets, Gadkari said the Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada Economic Corridor starts from Bengaluru STRR which utilises the existing Bengaluru-Hyderabad (NH-44) till the Kodikonda checkpost on NH 44.

Gadkari said thereafter, the proposed Greenfield Economic Corridor traverses from Kodikonda checkpost (Kodur village) on NH-44 (Bangalore-Hyderabad Road) to Muppavaram village near Addanki on NH-16.

He said that from Muppavaram, the alignment utilises the existing NH-16 till Vijayawada.

The entire corridor from Kodikonda checkpost to Muppavaram with a length of 342.5 km is completely a greenfield highway. This stretch in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh is proposed to be developed in 14 packages, he added.

Similarly, the minister approved Rs 410.83 crore for the construction of a 4-lane Raniganj Bypass with a length of 5.26 km on NH-14 (old NH-60) in Paschim Bardhaman district on EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) mode in West Bengal.

Gadkari said that NH-14 starts from its junction with NH-12 (Old NH 34) near Morgram connecting Rampur Hat, Siuri, Raniganj, Bankura, Garhbeta, and Salbani and terminating at its junction with NH-16 (Old NH 2) near Kharagpur in West Bengal.

The Minister said the entire stretch is a 2-lane one with a paved shoulder configuration.

This corridor is acting as one of the prime corridors for the traffic plying from south Indian states and Odisha towards north Bengal and northeastern states, he added.

Gadkari said it connects many important industrial, religious and agricultural centres such as Kharagpur, Midnapore, Chandrakona Road, Garbeta, Bishnupur, Bankura, Raniganj, Pandabeshwar, Dubrajpur, Suri, Rampurhat, Nalhati, etc.