Hyderabad, Dec 29 (IANS): The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invited tenders for the construction of the northern part of the Regional Ring Road (RRR) in Telangana with a total estimated cost of Rs 5,554.02 crore.

The northern part of the RRR from Sangareddy to Choutuppal will be executed in five packages.

The RRR's northern part will be 161.518 km long. The deadline for this four-lane, access-controlled greenfield regional expressway is two years.

The NHAI had decided to undertake this project in Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode. The maintenance period of the project will be five years.

The project will be executed in five packages. Package-1 is from Girmapur village at Sangareddy to Reddipalle (34.5 km) and this is estimated to cost Rs 1,529.19 crore.

Package 2 from Reddipalle to Islampur (26 km) will be executed for Rs 1,114.8 crore. Package-3 from Islampur to Pragnapur (23 km) Rs 1,184.81 crore, Package-4 from Pragnapur to Rayagiri (43 km) Rs 1,728.22 crore and Package-5 from Rayagiri village to Tangadpalle village (35 km) Rs 1,547 crore

The last date for submission of the financial and technical bids is February 14. The bids will be opened on February 17.

According to officials, land acquisition for the execution of the project is almost completed. The cost of land acquisition is being borne by the state and the Centre on a 50:50 basis.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 7,104.06 crore for RRR, which is expected to be a "super game-changer" for Telangana.

Last month, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was presented to NHAI by the consultancy.

Telangana Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has hailed the NHAI calling tenders for the project. He said the day would be written in the state's history with golden letters.

He recalled that he along with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari several times to request him to expedite the process for launching the project.

The state minister said Outer Ring Road (ORR) was a game-changer for Hyderabad and Telangana while the RRR would be a :super game-changer".

In June, the Chief Minister had urged Union Minister Gadkari to declare the southern part of the RRR as a national highway.

The southern part is proposed from Choutuppal to Amangal-Shadnagar-Sangareddy to a length of 181.87 km.