VIJAYAWADA: The State government’s Pothole-Free Roads Project, undertaken up at a cost of Rs 861 crore, is set to be completed by Sankranti.
As part of the project, 18 State highways with a total length of 1,307 kilometres will be developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This decision was finalised during a review meeting on road repair progress chaired by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Monday.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister emphasised the importance of road quality, warning contractors that any compromise would lead to blacklisting. Officials reported that of the 45,378 kilometres of roads under the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department, 22,299 kilometres are currently under repair.
So far, 1,991 kilometres of roads have been repaired, while 1,447 kilometres have been deemed irreparable and require reconstruction, estimated to cost `581 crore. In response, the Chief Minister assured that the necessary funds would be sanctioned promptly.
For the development of 18 State highways, the Chief Minister instructed officials to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and adopt suitable models such as Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT), Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT), or Operate-Maintain-Transfer (OMT). He pointed out that similar projects undertaken in the PPP model in the past had gained public acceptance due to their quality.
The CM urged officials to accelerate projects funded by the New Development Bank, ensuring Phase 1 works are completed at the earliest. Regarding panchayat roads, he directed officials to utilise the `275 crore recently released by the Central government to panchayats. He emphasised the importance of linking panchayat roads with state and national highways to improve connectivity.
With a focus on ensuring long-lasting, high-quality infrastructure, the government is prioritising road development as a key driver of progress.