VIJAYAWADA: While heavy freight trains are already rolling along Rs 2,212 crore worth of newly completed port-rail links, a massive Rs 16,000 crore road grid is now racing against time to bridge the last mile to Krishnapatnam Port and the rising Kris City industrial hub.
Far from the corridors of New Delhi where Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal recently briefed Parliament on coastal trade projections, the scale of this transformation is being written in asphalt and heavy iron across Nellore.
While the Ministry’s data confirms that rail-evacuation lines are 100% operational, seven major road corridors are currently being carved through the hinterland to handle the region’s expected trade boom.
The blueprint traces back to a pivotal 2022 review by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Sagarmala Programme, designed to eliminate chronic freight bottlenecks, slash logistics costs, and turn quiet coastal belts into industrial powerhouses.
All three sanctioned rail projects — totalling Rs 2,212 crore — have been fully commissioned. These include the Rs 1,825 crore Obulavaripalle–Venkatachalam freight link, the Rs 300 crore South Port spur from Gudur, and the Rs 87 crore Krishnapatnam–Venkatachalam line doubling with electrification. Operating alongside macro trunk upgrades like the CCEA’s recently cleared Gudur–Gummidipundi 3rd and 4th lines, these tracks ensure heavy freight moving from inland mineral and industrial belts reaches the coastal terminal without bottlenecking at junction points. Now, road logistics are undergoing a major expansion across seven packages worth Rs 16,021.51 crore. The primary arterial link is the Rs 6,857 crore upgradation of proposed NH-67, connecting Bellary in Karnataka directly to Krishnapatnam Port via the Naidupeta corridor.
To link the industrial hinterlands locally, a greenfield road worth Rs 5,039 crore is being constructed across Khandaleru Creek, physically integrating the North and South Industrial Clusters of Kris City.
Additional multi-laning projects include the 6-lane link from Naidupeta (Rs 1,399 crore), the 4-laning of Varagali Road (Rs 909 crore), two dedicated port road packages totalling over Rs 950 crore, and critical feeder roads connecting NH-5 to the port gate.
Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy noted that the massive investment in road and rail connectivity marks a new chapter for the district. “Better connectivity will bring industries closer to markets, reduce transportation costs, and generate thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities,” he added.
