Anantapur-Puttaparthi : With Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu bouncing back to power, he immediately breathed life into the dead proposals relating to all road projects linked to Amaravati including ORR project, Hyderabad-Amaravati express way and the Anantapur-Amaravati express way, now christened as Benguluru-Vijayawada express way with slight modifications.

During his recent meeting with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at Delhi, he got all the defunct proposals revived and got them approved, thus speeding up the projects for immediate execution. The 383-km express way project will reduce 100 km distance and 5 hours travelling time between Anantapur and Amaravati. The authorities will now take a relook at the project on the modifications made by the erstwhile YSRCP government and restore the original sanctity of the infrastructure project that is linked to Amaravati development. The modifications made by YSRCP government include the extension of the express way touching the YSR district and limiting the express way to Chilalakaluripeta thus deliberately disconnecting Amaravati from mainstream express way. So these anomalies will be rectified. The express way was also broad-based connecting it to Bengaluru and in turn to the Chennai-Kolkata express Highway so as to trigger socio-economic development throughout the stretch and make Amaravati as the most happening place.

By and large the idea is to connect Hyderabad-Benguluru-Chennai- Amaravati and Kolkata making it the largest quadrangle express ways.

The authorities will also review land acquisitions scenario once undertaken earlier by a committee of Collectors of Anantapur, Kurnool and YSR districts.

R&B Executive Engineer office sources told The Hans India that under the earlier scheme of things, 1,017 hectares in Anantapur, 1,713 hectares in Kurnool and 1,108 hectares in YSR district were in the process of land acquisition.

A total of 8,692 hectares is required for the project. The new government will take a call on the project and take it forward as this is a prestigious project involving development of Rayalaseema districts.

The Express Highway is expected to trigger business and industrial development throughout the Rayalaseema districts. Already the route survey had been ordered by the State government to minimise travel time and ensure hassle-free ride on the express way to the capital region. The total length of proposed Express Highway from Anantapur to Amaravati is 371.030 km, Kurnool feeder connectivity is 123.7 km and Kadapa feeder connectivity is 104.05 km. In the total 598.78-km length Expressway, the length of four-lane road is 178 km. Similarly, the length of six-lane road between Anantapur and Amaravati is 193.030 km.

The Express Highway is designed for a speed of 120 kilometres per hour with straight alignments avoiding habitations and locations of archaeological and religious importance. Tunnels and viaducts are proposed to be constructed to negotiate hilly terrains and valley sections.