NH 565 to be ready by June

- The proposed NH set to link Nalgonda, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore districts by providing connectivity to backward areas
- Forest clearances are obtained and works are in full swing and expected to be completed by June

Nellore: The newly announced National Highway (NH) 565 between Nalgonda and Nellore districts is getting ready to be dedicated to the nation by middle of this year as forest clearances have been obtained and the works are in full swing. It provides connectivity to backwards areas once the National Highway is ready.

The highway was recently converted into National Highway. It will be the important connectivity starting from Nakrekal in Nalgonda district; Macherla in Guntur; Yerragondapalem, Kanigiri and Pamur in Prakasam district and Duttalur, Rapur and Venkatagiri in Nellore district. The NH 565 terminates at Yerpedu on the NH 71 in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.

It crosses NH 67 in between Coimbatore and Nagappattinam in Tamil Nadu at 641 km point. The stretch is significant because of agricultural lands and rich mineral resources located in the industrially and economically developing areas of the region. The highway passes through Penchala Narasimha Wild Life Sanctuary of Rapur range in Nellore district which is part of NH 565. The existing BT road is only 3.66 metres and is inadequate to cater to the needs of highway traffic and it was proposed to widen as two-lane.

Recently, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, K Sugunakar Reddy visited the place as the highway stretches for around 8.5 km in the Rapur forest range for assessing loss to the bio-diversity and the road stretch is under DPR stage. The forest clearance has been cleared for the stretch at Sangam paving way for hassle-free construction of the road. “We offered works in 4 packages and around 80 per cent of works are over. As we have planned, the works will be completed by May/June this year.

In Nellore, some works have to be completed for which we are taking measures to accelerate the works since we have already got forest clearances,” said R Manohara Reddy, Superintending Engineer. It may be recalled that KNR Constructions Limited had bagged an EPC order worth Rs 290.25 crore from the National Highways Authority of India for rehabilitation and upgradation of National Highway 565 in Andhra Pradesh between 425 km and 509 km in the Penchalakona to Yerpedu section under the National Highway Development Project–IV.

P V Prasad