KURNOOL: National Highway-44 from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, passing through Kurnool and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, will be developed as a Super Information Road. Along with digital information system, the four-lane road will be expanded into a six-lane highway with an estimated cost of Rs 14,000 crore, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) assistant engineer M Bharat Bhushan said.
Speaking to TNIE, the official said this is the first time in the state that a road is being converted into a Super Information Highway.The state-of-the-art road will display information such as distances to hospitals and petrol bunks along with the time of traffic clearance, on digital boards.
A few months ago, the officials concerned had sent proposals to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to convert the road into a six-lane highway. The Ministry approved the project, along with the Super Information Road, he said.“However, we have not received any official letter so far,” he added.
Bharat Bhushan said the higher officials have asked them to prepare a DPR (Detailed Project Report). The DPR will be completed within the next three months and the road works will begin within 12 months. “Wherever needed, flyovers, bridges, underpass bridges and service roads will also be reconstructed. All toll plazas will be digitised,” he added.The highway covers a distance of 251 kms in the state.