HYDERABAD: The state government has secured approval for the Rs 12,073-crore expansion of National Highway-65 along the Hyderabad-Vijayawada-Machilipatnam corridor into a six-lane highway with two additional service lanes.
The project has cleared the technical committee-level process, with final approval from the Union Cabinet Committee awaited. The state government plans to complete the tendering process within two months and begin work after receiving the final clearance. Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said he had urged Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to expedite the project during discussions at the Indian Road Congress (IRC) and Chintan Shivir-2026 in Gujarat. The expansion is expected to reduce travel time, improve road safety and support industrial and commercial activity along the corridor.
The government has completed land acquisition for the 161.518-km northern section of the Regional Ring Road (RRR), which will connect Sangareddy, Narsapur, Toopran, Gajwel, Jagdevpur, Bhongir and Choutuppal. Earlier tenders were cancelled because land acquisition was incomplete. Fresh tenders will be invited, while work on the Detailed Project Report is nearing completion, Venkat said.
Meanwhile, Venkat directed officials to organise the 85th Indian Road Congress national conference as a platform to showcase modern road technologies, improve safety and attract investment, rather than treating it as merely a conference.
The four-day event will be held at HITEX in Hyderabad from November 19 to 22. At a review meeting, he called for coordination among departments and arrangements for delegates’ accommodation, hospitality and visits to tourist destinations.