GUNTUR: Arrangements are in place for the trial run at the emergency landing facility set up on NH 16 in Bapatla district. The runway in Bapatla district is the first ELF airstrip in South India and will be held today.Officials from Indian Air Force, National Highway Authority of India and SP Vakul Jindal visited the newly constructed airstrip and inspected the arrangements on Wednesday.
The 4.1 km long and 60 metre wide concrete airstrip was constructed at a cost of Rs 86 crore using latest german technology to withstand heavy weights as well as high pressure by NHAI at Korisepadu in the district. According to the officials, the highway stretches will be blocked in case of an emergency and put to use exclusively for the landing of aircraft. The airstrips can be used for strategic purposes as well as during natural calamities for rescue and relief operations.
In 2018, the Centre has decided to develop 19 airstrips on the national highways in different states to operate aircraft when road or rail routes get disrupted during emergencies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first airstrip among these at Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on November 16, 2021.
The State government is planning to inaugurate it by Prime Minister in 2023. The trail run will be conducted from 11 am to 11.45 am on Thursday. The officials have already set up radars and other technical equipment to conduct the run successfully. As many as 210 police personnel were deployed for security measures and to prevent commuters from entering the airstrip during the run. Vehicles arriving from Vijayawada will be diverted through Addanki and traffic restrictions were imposed from 10 am to 12.30 am. They also appealed to the commuters to cooperate to plan their journey accordingly.