West Bengal, Telangana get road projects sanctions worth Rs 17.96 bn

The government is engaged in a project to build highways and roads throughout the nation. In this regard, Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has given his approval for the construction of Telangana and West Bengal’s roads. The action will increase tourism and connectivity in the area.

A sizeable budget of Rs 8.12 billion has been sanctioned by the ministry for the project in West Bengal to widen and strengthen the current alignment of National Highway (NH) 116B. This large- scale project is a component of the year plan 2022-2023 and is anticipated to be carried out in the EPC mode.

The NH-116B is a crucial highway that runs 91 km through West Bengal, starting at Nandakumar and ending in Chandaneswar in the Balasore district of Odisha. In the West Bengal region, the proposed road project passes through important towns and well-known tourist hotspots like Ramnagar, Contai, Mandarmani, and Digha. Due in large part to the growth of Tajpur Port, this road's construction will efficiently meet the growing demand for accommodating heavy traffic on this route.

The government has given the go-ahead for the construction of a four-lane Access-Controlled Greenfield Highway Section on National Highway 163G in Telangana (Khammam to Vijayawada). Under the Economic Corridor, a new road will connect the villages of Brahmanapalli (K) and V. Venkatayapalem. The 29.92 kilometre long road (Package I) will cost Rs. 9.83 billion to construct. The Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) will be used to build the new road.

By reducing travel times and operating expenses for vehicles, the project has generated significant gains that have aided in the economic growth of the surrounding areas. After completion, there would be better road connectivity between Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

Additionally, it will use indirect routes to connect the ports of South India and Central India.