Bridging the Telugu States: A ₹3,700 Crore Engineering Marvel.

A 162-km access-controlled greenfield expressway linking Khammam in Telangana to Devarapalle in Andhra Pradesh is nearing completion, set to significantly enhance connectivity along the Hyderabad–Visakhapatnam corridor. Developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the project will become Telangana’s first dedicated greenfield highway once operational.

The new alignment is expected to shorten the Rajahmundry–Hyderabad route by 56 km and reduce the Khammam–Devarapalle distance by 24 km, potentially saving commuters between two and four hours of travel time. It will also help decongest key national corridors such as NH-65 and NH-16.

Stretching from Thallampadu to Devarapalle, the four-lane expressway has been divided into five construction packages, covering 105.24 km in Telangana and 56.89 km in Andhra Pradesh. Built at an estimated cost of ₹3,700 crore, the corridor represents three years of intensive engineering, large-scale land development, and infrastructure creation.

The Telangana section alone features dozens of major bridges and more than 170 culverts crossing rivers, streams, and local roads. The highway has been designed for seamless, high-speed travel with controlled access points, grade-separated interchanges, truck lay-bys, rest areas, toll plazas, and ramp connections.

Initially proposed in 2017 as an upgrade of existing two-lane roads, the project was approved in 2018 as a fully new greenfield alignment passing largely through sparsely populated areas.

Land acquisition and construction challenges

According to NHAI regional officer P. Siva Sankar, acquiring land was one of the most significant obstacles, with 554 hectares secured in Telangana alone. Compensation disputes initially slowed progress but were later resolved through arbitration. Engineers also addressed a shortage of suitable soil by using fly ash as an alternative construction material, and 17 high-tension power lines were relocated to clear the alignment. Work continued despite two years of heavy rainfall and flooding.

So far, 116 km of the expressway has been completed, with the remaining stretch targeted for completion by May. In addition to improving travel times, the corridor will include solar-powered lighting, landscaped medians, emergency access points, and advanced traffic management systems — positioning it as a vital transport spine between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and a transformative link along the Hyderabad–Visakhapatnam axis.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.