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AP To Convert 4,950 State Highways Into NHs |
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Andhra Pradesh is staking its claim for conversion of an additional 4,590 km into National Highways in the State. A detailed proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Shipping,Road Transport and Highways urging it to consider conversion and development of 17 roads in the State.
In fact, the little known fact to the public is that the State already has 15 National
Highways covering a distance of 4,648 km. While 1,125 km of National Highways are mostly four-lane roads and six-lane in some places, 3,158 km of the NH are two-lane roads. Only 365 km of NH is a single-lane road. As many as 1,705 km of National Highways have been added in the State between 1997 and 2004 (Ninth and Tenth plan periods).
The State is actually entitled for another 1,000 km of national highways. In population terms, there should be 6.4 km of NH for every one lakh population (as per the national average). But Andhra Pradesh has 6.03 km of NH. Similarly, there should be 19.95-km-long NH for every 1,000 square km. In the case of Andhra Pradesh, the availability of NH road length is 16.59 km per 1,000 sq. km, according to Chief Engineer of R&B (National Highways) G.V.S. Suryanarayana Raju.
The major routes proposed for conversion into National Highways include: Nellore-Mydukur-Gooty (314 km); Hyderabad-Mancherial-Chanda (330 km); Hyderabad-Srisailam-Nandyal (300 km); Gundugolanu-Nallajerla-Rajahmundry (83 km); Krishnapatnam Port-Nellore-Rayachoti-Kadiri-Hiriyur in Karnataka (470 km); Hyderabad-Medak-Basar-Luxettipet (395 km); Kakinada-Rajahmundry-Kovvur-Aswaraopet-Khammam-Suryapet (300 km); Kurnool-Vinukonda-Guntur ( 300 km); Mahadevpur (Warangal Dt)-Nalgonda-Macherla-Markapur-V enkatagiri-Renigunta (650 km).
What is the logic behind proposing so many roads for conversion when the State is entitled only for only 1,000-km-long National Highways additionally? Dr. Raju says the Union Government usually considers the proposals whenever it decides to extend the length of the NH in other States to maintain parity between the States.
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