Centre Greenlights Amaravati Outer Ring Road Project

Amaravati ORR project finally gets a nod from Centre: Long awaited by people in Amaravati, the long-awaited project at Amaravati finally received a nod from Centre. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) gave nod approval to the proposal forwarded by the National Highways Authority of India for the Amaravati ORR project.

The ORR passed in 2018, bore a major jolt as the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) came to power and kept it on the cold shelf. However, the revival effort started gaining momentum as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, did not give up and lobbied from New Delhi during his visits there. The prime minister, Narendra Modi, and Union Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari, agreed to lend their support, while the Centre assented to meeting the costs for land acquisition.

Following much deliberation and discussion, NHAI finalized its DPR and laid it before the concerned authority, seeking sanction for the project. The government sanctioned it with certain amends in the proposed draft. For example, the bypass around Vijayawada East that was earlier in the proposals had to be skipped to avoid repetition.

The 189-kilometer-long ORR is going to be a lifeline for the state of Andhra Pradesh to usher in prosperity through five principal districts: Vijayawada, Guntur, Bapatla, Krishna, and Palnadu. Estimated at a cost of ₹16,000 crore with expenses for the acquisition of the land, with Chief Minister Naidu leading concessions from the State Government, construction materials have got an exemption for State Goods and Services Tax; hence, cost-cutting saves ₹1,150 crore.

By linking major economic hubs and improving connectivity, the ORR promises to accelerate regional growth and enhance transportation efficiency in Andhra Pradesh. This approval marks a crucial step in the state’s journey toward infrastructural modernization and economic progress.