In what would aid Andhra Pradesh’s efforts to become a gateway to the Southeast Asia with its port-led development plan, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said on Friday that all the ports in the state will be connected with four-lane highways at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore.
Speaking at the Global Investors Summit, the minister said road connectivity will be ensured irrespective of a port being a minor, major, private or state port. The passing of three industrial corridors — Visakhapatnam-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru and Hyderabad — through the state makes it a potential logistics hub.
Gadkari said the Raipur- Visakhapatnam expressway corridor will slash travel time considerably. He added that a 430-km project connecting Nagpur and Vijayawada will also start soon.
The cost of logistics at 16% is a big impediment to India’s export competitiveness, he said, adding that the Centre is committed to bring this down. He said the ministry is evaluating the feasibility of laying optic-fibre cables on the road side, piloting between Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Development of greenfield expressways is also being pursued.
The state is targetting to in create additional 100-MT cargo handling capacity at its ports, while the current capacity is 228 MT.
The state has 15 ports, including operational ones at Krishnapatnam, Gangavaram, Kakinada Deep Water, Kakinada Anchorage and Rawa, besides the major port at Vishakhapatnam. Four more ports are being developed including three in the government sector.