Ballari Road stretch to be widened into 10-lane road

02 Jan 2024 CW Team

The Ballari Road stretch from Devanahalli to Andhra Pradesh border of National Highway-44 will be widened into a 10-lane road. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed to widen the highway with a six-lane main carriageway and two-lane service roads on either side.

The widened road will be linked to the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) that connects to the proposed Bengaluru-Chennai expressway.

NHAI project director KB Jayakumara told STOI widening of the road is necessary, considering the increased traffic flow on the highway and the need to eliminate blackspots. ?The NHAI has taken up upgradation of the road from Devanahalli to Kurnool. The total length of the stretch is 340km, 72km of which falls in the limits of Karnataka.?

The land required for widening the road is already available with NHAI. Beyond Devanahalli, the existing highway has a four-lane main carriageway, while there are service roads on some stretches. The official added that over the years, movement of vehicles, including trucks, has increased on the corridors connecting to Bengaluru. The highway is also used by people from districts bordering Andhra Pradesh to access Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) because of its proximity. NHAI has partially opened the first 34-km stretch of STRR from Dabaspet to Hoskote. This stretch is linked to NH-44. ?Once the remaining stretch from Dabaspet to Doddaballapur opens for traffic movement, trucks coming from Tumakuru Road will get direct access to NH-44. This will reduce congestion on the roads leading to Bengaluru ,? said Jayakumar.

Infrastructure Urban

27 Oct 2025

Coal Ministry Achieves Milestones under Special Campaign 5.0

The Ministry of Coal and its Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have achieved notable milestones under the Special Campaign 5.0, focusing on cleanliness, operational efficiency, and sustainability across the coal sector. During the implementation phase from 2–31 October 2025, over 1,205 sites were cleaned, covering 68,04,087 sq ft, nearing the target of 82,51,511 sq ft. Scrap disposal of 5,813 MT against a target of 8,678 MT generated Rs 228.7 million in revenue. In addition, 1,11,248 physical and 30,331 electronic files were reviewed, with 74,123 weeded out or closed. Key initiatives showc..

Vesting Orders Issued for Three Coal Blocks under Commercial Auctions

The Ministry of Coal’s Nominated Authority has issued vesting orders for three coal blocks under commercial coal block auctions on 23 October 2025. The Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) for these mines were earlier signed on 21 August 2025. The three blocks include Rajgamar Dipside (Deavnara), Tangardihi North, and Mahuagarhi. Of these, two are partially explored while one is fully explored, with a combined peak rated capacity of around 1 MTPA and geological reserves of approximately 1,484.41 million tonnes. These mines are expected to generate annual revenue of abou..

TEC, IIT-Hyderabad Partner to Boost 6G and Telecom Standards

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) for joint research and technical collaboration in advanced telecom technologies and standardisation. The partnership focuses on developing India-specific standards and test frameworks for next-generation networks, including 6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs). It also aims to enhance India’s participation in international standardisation f..