VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that quality was never compromised despite the record pace of highway construction, even as four Guinness World Records were set in the Bengaluru–Kadapa-Vijayawada Economic Corridor (BKV).
Participating virtually in a programme held in Sri Sathya Sai district, he attributed the achievement to skill, innovation and teamwork, along with eco-friendly practices.
Gadkari said innovations such as the use of paddy husk in bitumen production helped reduce costs while protecting the environment, and urged Andhra Pradesh to actively adopt such green methods. Stressing the need to cut logistics costs to below 9 per cent to support India’s fast-growing economy, he said the new corridor would significantly reduce travel time between Bengaluru and Vijayawada. He also acknowledged the full cooperation extended by the Andhra Pradesh government for national highway projects.
CM N Chandrababu Naidu, who also participated virtually, described the Guinness records achieved under Gadkari’s leadership as a matter of pride for the nation. He congratulated all those involved in the execution of the project, particularly Raj Path Infracon, which constructed the longest six-lane bituminous national highway in record time.
Naidu said 10,655 MT of bituminous concrete were laid continuously, setting a world record. Between January 6 and 11, a 52-km stretch of six-lane road was completed, while 84.4 km of four-lane highway construction also set a new benchmark.