NH-16 to be expanded into six lanes

Vizianagaram: The national highway-16 between Anandapuram and Ranasthalam via Bhogapuram and Pusapatirega would be expanded into six lanes at a cost of Rs 400 crore.

The survey was completed and works would be started within few days. The 47 km road between Anandapuram and Ranasthalam would be developed into six lanes in the first phase and later it would be extended up to Narasannapeta of Srikakulam district which would be 56 km long.

This is the busiest highway which connects Kolkata and Chennai via Bhuvaneswar, Vizag, Rajamahendravaram, Vijayawada and Nellore.

All the major cities in east coast comes under the national highway-5 (later it was changed as NH-16). Thousands of trucks, which carry a huge quantity of commodities, medicines and others travel through the highway. Apart from this, the highway passes through the major port cities like Paradeep, Vizag, Kakinada, Gangavaram and Chennai.

Now, the government is planning to expand it to ease the traffic and provide hassel free journey. Rivers like Gosthani, Champavadi, Vegavati also fall under this highway and the engineers are required to construct three big bridges, 10 small bridges and 10 under passages in the first phase.

Even the green field airport to be constructed at Bhogapuram also falls under national highway-16. D Lakshma Reddy, tahsildar of Bhogapuram, said: “The expansion project work of national highway is finalised and the works would be started soon. We are directed to coordinate with the officials concerned.”