KHAMMAM: The Khammam-Devarapalli access-controlled Greenfield Highway (NH-365BG), the first such corridor connecting Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, is set to become fully operational, bringing the promise of faster travel between the two states.
The stretch from Tallampadu village in Khammam district to Devarapalli in Andhra Pradesh was unofficially opened on Sunday, allowing motorists to use the route ahead of its formal inauguration, expected within a week.
The opening comes after months of delay caused by the construction of railway overbridges (ROBs) at Dhamsalapuram, even though the highway and most of its infrastructure were completed nearly a year ago.
With the ROBs now ready, motorists can enter the highway from Tallampadu instead of being restricted to the Wyra-Devarapalli stretch through temporarily opened toll plazas.
For commuters, the biggest gain will be time. The 162.04-km highway is expected to shorten the Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam journey by about 60 km and reduce travel time by one to two hours. It will also allow vehicles bound for Tiruvuru, Nuzvid, Rajamahendravaram, Visakhapatnam, Odisha and Kolkata to bypass Khammam city entirely.
Vehicles travelling from Suryapet towards Khammam will enter the corridor through the Tallampadu toll plaza and exit at Devarapalli. The highway also has nine interchanges providing access to nearby towns.
It has speed limits of 100 kmph for cars and 80 kmph for heavy vehicles, while the toll system will operate on a distance-based model similar to Hyderabad’s ORR. CCTV cameras have been installed at every kilometre, and truck lay-bys have been developed at Vandanam and Chowdavaram.
Of the total length, 105 km passes through Khammam district, where the project was executed in three packages at a cost of `2,213.91 crore.
Speaking to TNIE, National Highways Authority of India project officer K Divya said, “All the works have been completed, and vehicles have been allowed to enter from the Tallampadu access point from today. The highway will be officially opened within a week, after which toll collection will begin.”
Divya added that load tests are under way to ensure the completed ROBs are safe for regular vehicular movement.