Centre Clears 6-Lane Upgrade for Hyderabad Ring Road

23 May 2025 CW Team

The Central government has approved a major revision to the Hyderabad Regional Ring Road (RRR) project, upgrading the proposed northern segment from a four-lane to a six-lane expressway. The decision follows a request from the Telangana state government, citing anticipated traffic growth and future congestion risks.

Initially tendered in December 2024 as a four-lane access-controlled greenfield expressway, the 161.5 km northern segment—from Sangareddy to Choutuppal—was estimated to cost Rs 55.5 billion. Following the Centre’s in-principle nod for a six-lane design, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun revising the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and conducting updated traffic studies.

Rather than issuing new tenders, the authorities will ask already short-listed bidders to revise and resubmit their proposals to align with the six-lane configuration.

Although the RRR was originally envisioned as an eight-lane corridor, earlier traffic data led to a scaled-down four-lane plan, with phased expansion. However, the Centre has now decided to build six lanes upfront, with future expansion to eight lanes when required. Officials cited expected traffic volumes by completion as exceeding four-lane capacity.

Land acquisition for the northern section is nearly complete, with costs shared equally by the state and Centre. The deadline for project completion remains two years, followed by a five-year maintenance period.

Meanwhile, the state government has begun preparing the DPR for the southern segment of the RRR and appointed an agency to lead the planning. While the Centre is fully funding the northern portion, it is yet to be confirmed whether the southern section will be financed centrally or through state resources.

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