Travel between Hyderabad and Vijayawada could see a major road infrastructure upgrade, with a 181-km section of NH-65 planned for six-laning.
The project is expected to provide additional road space on an important corridor connecting Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, while supporting the growing movement of vehicles between the two states.
The proposed expansion will cover a substantial section of the existing highway. For people travelling by road between the two cities and other locations along the corridor, the project could provide additional capacity as traffic demand increases.
NHAI invited bids for Rs 6,792 cr six-laning project
Recently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) invited bids for the six-laning of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada section of NH-65. The project covers 181.30 km across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The estimated project cost is Rs.6,792 crore, and the work will be taken up under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mode. NHAI plans to select a private entity for implementing the project.
As part of the bidding process, NHAI is seeking a private entity to develop and operate the project in accordance with the conditions set out in the tender document.
Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway was earlier four-laned
The section covered by the latest tender has previously been developed as a four-lane highway. A 2022 Lok Sabha reply from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that the Hyderabad-Vijayawada section covering around 181.5 km had been four-laned.
At the time, the government had stated that six-laning was not considered necessary based on the traffic levels then. The latest NHAI proposal now seeks to expand a broadly similar section to six lanes.
The proposed project will therefore build on the existing highway infrastructure and add capacity to the established road corridor.
Six-laning to ease pressure on existing highway
The expansion comes as traffic on the corridor continues to increase. Widening the highway from four lanes to six lanes will provide more space for vehicles and help the road handle higher traffic volumes.
The upgrade could be useful on busy sections of the route, especially for vehicles travelling longer distances between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It will also provide more capacity for future traffic growth without the need to build a completely new road.