New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS): Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday urged Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to sanction the southern part of 340 km long expressway around Hyderabad.

He also sought some modifications to northern part of expressway, that is Sangareddy-Gajwel-Choutuppal section (158 km), already sanctioned under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

Stating that the alignment of the expressway was proposed in 2018, the Chief Minister said during the last three years, certain development works were taken up by the state government, and it had suggested some modifications to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in the alignment from Gajwel to Yadadri.

For the southern part of expressway, that is Choutuppal-Shadnagar-Sangareddy sections (182 km), the state government has submitted alignment proposals and traffic data.

Submitting memorandums to Gadkari on various issues pertaining to various road projects, KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said that completion of both the sections is essential for seamless flow of NH traffic from north to south and east to west, which will benefit traffic of not only Telangana but also of Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.

He thanked Gadkari for sanctioning a new national highway from Kalwakurthy (in Telangana) to Nandyal (in Andhra Pradesh) via Kolhapur, Somasila and Karivena as NH 167 K, as it will open up backward areas of Nagarkurnool district, that is Kalwakurthy, Kolhapur, Somasila etc in Telangana, and Atmakur in Andhra Pradesh. This road on development to NH standards with a new bridge across river Krishna at Somasila will reduce the distance between Hyderabad and Tirupati, Chennai etc by 80 km, he noted.

KCR pointed out that newly-declared NH 167 takes off at km 67/0 of NH 765 near Kalwakurthy. The NH 765 connects Hyderabad with famous Jyothirlinga at Srisailam. The present traffic up to Kalwakurthy on NH 765 is about 14,000 PCUs (as per toll records) and the traffic will further increase manifold once Kalwakurthy-Karivena section is developed. Keeping in view the present traffic and future requirements, it is essential to develop the existing two lane paved shoulder highway from Hyderabad to Kalwakurthy (NH 765) to four lane standards.

He also sought Gadkari's intervention in the matter relating to six-laning of Hyderabad-Vijayawada section of NH 65. As per the agreement with concessionaire, GMR Hyd-Vij Expressways Ltd, the six-laning of this high-traffic corridor is to be completed by April 2024. However, it is learnt that the concessionaire has raised a dispute and now showing any inclination to take up six-laning, KCR said.

He requested for upgrading four state roads of a total length of 442 kms as national highways at the earliest. The roads are Choutuppal-Amangal-Shadnagar-Kandi (182 km), Karimnagar-Sircilla-Kamareddy-Yellareddy-Pitlam (165 km), Kothakota-Gudur up to Mantralayam (70 km), and Zaheerabad-Bidar-Deglur (25 km).

He also thanked Gadkari for declaring 2,168 km of state roads as national highways in Telangana after formation of new state and according in principal approval for upgradation of 3,306 km as national highways in total in Telangana.

KCR stated that of the balance 1,138 km, the four state roads are very important for the development of Telangana state in general and tourism and interstate connectivity in particular.

The state government submitted proposals for development of state roads under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) at an outlay of Rs 744 crore. With the ministry is allocating only around Rs 250 crore per year to Telangana under the fund, KCR asked Gadkari to sanction the pending CRIF proposals and increase the allocation of funds.