Cabinet Approves Rs 7,597 Crore Highway Widening in Jagtial Karimnagar and Mancherial
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved two major National Highway widening projects spanning 190.76 kilometers in Telangana at an estimated cost of ₹7,597.16 crore on Wednesday. The infrastructure projects aim to upgrade crucial transit corridors in the districts of Nizamabad, Jagtial, Mancherial, and Karimnagar to a four-lane standard to resolve severe local traffic congestion.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs sanctioned the widening of the Armoor-Jagtial-Mancherial section of National Highway 63 (NH-63). This specific stretch will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).
In tandem, the committee approved the widening of the Jagtial-Karimnagar section of National Highway 563 (NH-563). This project will be executed using the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model to elevate the stretch to a four-lane standard.
Currently, the Armoor-Jagtial-Mancherial route experiences heavy bottlenecks due to several densely populated and built-up areas along the highway. These congested points include Ankapur, Korutla, Jagtial, Dharmapuri, Lakshettipet, and Mancherial.
Similarly, the Jagtial-Karimnagar section suffers from severe traffic delays as it passes through heavily built-up localities such as Jagtial, Potharam, Gangadhara, and Karimnagar.
To resolve these issues, the upgraded routes will feature a four-lane configuration with newly constructed bypasses to route traffic away from congested built-up areas. The highways will also feature open tolling systems and are engineered to support a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour, ensuring safer and more efficient travel across the northern districts of Telangana.
An official statement highlighted that the projects are expected to enhance regional mobility and drive socio-economic development. Upon completion, travel time between Armoor and Mancherial is anticipated to decrease by approximately one hour and 30 minutes. Additionally, commuters traveling between Jagtial and Karimnagar will see their travel times reduced by about 45 minutes.
The improvements are designed to offer fast, safe, and uninterrupted connectivity for both passenger and freight transit. The government statement also indicated that the projects will lead to a substantial reduction in fuel consumption, vehicle operating costs, and carbon emissions.
