NHAI building two airstrips on NH-16 in Prakasam district

The works for the runway have been completed and authorities are now going to construct a Air Traffic Control tower at each strip.

Works of runway on NH-16 in Prakasam district underway I Express 

ONGOLE:  With the technical supervision of the Indian Air Force authorities, the National Highways Authorities of India (NH AI) is constructing two airstrips in Prakasam district between Martur and Singarayakonda, 30-35 km away from district headquarters Ongole.

The works for the runway have been completed and authorities are now going to construct a Air Traffic Control tower at each strip. Two gates will be established on both sides of these strips to restrict vehicular traffic, whenever needed. The two airstrips will be operational by 2022. These two airstrips will be used for landing aircraft in emergency situations, bringing relief material to the victims of natural calamities including cyclones, earthquakes, floods and major fire accidents and in war situations.

Works of runway on NH-16 in
Prakasam district underway I Express

The airstrips will have 33 meters-wide cement runways and four aircraft parking slots. The airstrips are constructed in Engineering- Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode with an estimated cost of `83.77 crore. The two highway road runways works were allocated to two private companies. The runway works between Korisapadu- Reningavaram (Muppavaram) was taken up by MVR and the 2nd airstrip near Singarayakonda bypass was taken up by KMC.

At present, the cement road construction works of Korisapadu- Reningavaram stretch was completed and the works at Singarayakonda airstrip were about to finish. “The Indian Air Force authorities, who provided the technical design support, inspected the airstrips recently and expressed their satisfaction. These airstrips will be blocked in case of emergency and will be exclusively used for the aircraft landing. These road runways will be used for strategic purposes as well as during the calamities for immediate rescue and relief operations,” an official from the NHAI-Vijayawada Regional Office explained.

Strategic structures
4.5 km airstrip is coming between Korisapadu and Reningavaram villages on Chennai- Kolkata National
Highway (NH-16)
3.6 km runway is coming Kalikivayi-Kandukur underpass on NH-16
They will be operational by 2022