NHAI planning to build a road starting from Durg in Chhattisgarh to Hyderabad

Nagpur: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to build a road from Durg in Chhattisgarh to Hyderabad. This road will pass through Gadchiroli and Bellampalle in Telangana.

It is going to be the first road connecting Durg to Gadchiroli in a straight line and is a part of the Hyderabad-Raipur Economic Corridor.

A high-speed corridor like the Samridhi Expressway is a greenfield project and will reduce the distance between both Durg and Gadchiroli to less than 60 km. The present roads take a detour through Chandrapur. Sources have also said that it is going to be a completely new route passing through a different alignment. Presently the distance from Durg to Gadchiroli is 239 km. The new road will reduce the distance to 174 km.

The National Highway Authority of India has considered various options for the alignment and is also close to finalizing the route. Apart from private land, the proposed road will also pass through forest areas. Sources say about this that about 45 km of the road will pass through the forest area. In addition to mitigation measures, it will be ensured that minimum land is acquired from forest areas, sources said.

Gives minute coordinates of highlighting features like water bodies

A source has even said that the road will provide connectivity to remote areas of the Maoist-affected district Gadchiroli, which are not connected to the national highway at all. The access is also expected to spur industrial development in the area, and provide a new route to tiger reserves, sources said.

Sources have also said that this project is part of the overall plan, which envisages connecting Raipur to Hyderabad in the south.

The road will start from the end of the Durg bypass. This is part of the second phase of NHAI’s Bharatmala project, for which cabinet approval will have to be taken. Presently its Detail Project Report (DPR) is being prepared, which is expected to be ready very soon. After that, the projects under Bharatmala-2 will be placed before the cabinet for approval.

Sources associated with the project have also said that the National Highway Authority of India will use the PM Gati Shakti portal to plan the project. It also gives minute coordinates of highlighting features like water bodies, forests, high-tension power lines, and other structures. This enables much better planning.

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