VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that there were 70 projects, totalling 2,014 km and costing Rs 33,540 crore, underway in Andhra Pradesh. Addressing the inaugural session of Global Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam on Friday, the Union Minister said that efforts were being made to establish five green highways and two expressways at a cost of Rs 32,430 crore.
Gadkari announced that a 55-km long six-lane highway connecting Bhogapuram International Airport to Visakhapantam Port. He said that the estimated cost of the project would be Rs 6,300 crore and that the State came forward to give the required land and 157 acre of multi-modal logistics park.
“It is dream project of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy getting realised,” he said. Highlighting the efforts of the Centre for the development of Andhra Pradesh through better connectivity, the Union minister said all the ports in the State would be connected with four-lane national highways at the cost of Rs 20,000 crore.
He also said that over the last eight years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been a significant increase in the length of national highways in Andhra Pradesh, which have risen to 8,744 km from 4,193 km. The Union Minister said so far in 2022-23, about 27 projects worth an estimated Rs 15,400 crore were awarded totalling a length of 777 km.
MMLPs in Vizag, Anantapur at a cost of Rs 1,797 crore
He added that two multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs) were sanctioned in Visakhapatnam and Anantapur at a cost of Rs 1,797 crore. These MMLPs would serve as a key hub for centralising freight cargo consolidation in the region, he said. Besides Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Kakinda, Krishnapatnam and Nizampatnam, last mile connectivity would be provided to Bhavanapadu, Machilipatnam and Ramaiahpatnam ports as part of port connectivity master plan.
On the occasion, he suggested employing trawlers developed in Cochin by fishermen, as they can go up to 100 nautical miles against the present 10 nautical miles and improve their catch and their by their income levels. “The most important development with regards to road infrastructure is development of the expressways. In North to South connectivity project circumventing Mumbai, a green field expressway from Surat to Ahamednagar to Solapur to Kurnool is being developed, which reduced about 300 km,” he said
Elaborating further on express ways that will help in development of Andrha Pradesh, he said Bengaluru-Chennai Highway, once completed would reduce 4-5 hours travel time to mere 2 hours. It would be completed by December 24. Similarly, Raipur-Visakahapatnam Expressway would reduce the travel time to just five and half hours.
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy was requested to take up constructions of multi-modal logistics part with Centre on fifty-fifty partnership. “We are also planning 500 bus ports like airports and one will come up in Tirupati. We have already agreed to ropeway projects at Srisailam and Kanakadurga temple in Vijayawada and other projects are under consideration.”