Hyderabad-Bengaluru express highway to boost regional economic growth

Anantapur: Cities including Kurnool and Anantapur are likely to be impacted with the Central government’s approval for the proposed Bengaluru-Hyderabad highway expansion from 4 lanes to 12 lanes. This was announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the presentation of Union budget. This major development at NH 44 will help these cities in connecting to big cities and markers. Apart from that, better infrastructure will lead to bigger investments, enhanced tourism and employment opportunities, all of which will contribute to regional economic growth.

The project estimated to cost around Rs20,000 crore is expected to trigger socio-economic-industrial development in Rayalaseema region, particularly Anantapur and Kurnool districts, according to NHAI sources.

The highway, also known as NH-44, which is currently four lanes wide, will be expanded to a 12-lane expressway, boosting connectivity and trade between cities and towns in the region.

John Richard, an IT professional lives in Hyderabad and employed in Bengaluru, speaking with ‘The Hans India’,expressed confidence that the new express way would connect ‘B’ class towns like Anantapur and Kurnool and would attract IT companies to open their shops in the cities in view of less operational costs and good connectivity to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

When the express way becomes a reality, the driving times between Benguluru and Hyderabad becomes lesser, shuttling between metros and even ‘B’ class towns become easier, Richard adds. For Horticulture farmers, the express way will be a big advantage to advance and promote their export business.

The State government will work with the Centre on the project’s funding and execution. To raise funds for the project, toll booths will be strategically installed at the highway along the extended route, generating funds for maintenance and future development of the expressway. Meanwhile, the 262-km long Bengaluru-Chennai expressway is nearing completion and will reduce the travel time by 3 hours. The expressway will bring down the distance between cities by 80 kilometers and will have a speed limit of 120 km/hr. Built at a cost of a whopping Rs 18,000 crore, the expressway passes through three states — Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. So, the two express highways will connect the cities of Telangana, AP and Bengaluru and Chennai metro cities.