Cabinet Clears ₹3,653 Crore Highway Project Linking Badvel to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh

The Narendra Modi-cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the development of a ₹3,653 crore four-lane highway between Badvel and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. The 108.13-kilometre greenfield way would be built on the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) model.

The highway will begin at Gopavaram on NH-67 in SPSR Nellore district and terminate at Krishnapatnam Port Junction on NH-16 in YSR Kadapa district. The highway once completed will save 33.9 km of travel distance and travel time of nearly one hour.

The new corridor will save a lot of fuel, cut down transport costs, and cut carbon emissions. “The project is a landmark in augmenting road connectivity to one of the state’s key port regions,” the official said.

Strategically located, the road will improve connectivity to three strategic corridors’ key industrial hubs Visakhapatnam–Chennai, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, and Chennai–Bengaluru. Improved accessibility will boost regional logistics efficiency and increase India’s overall Logistics Performance Index. The project also promises to yield significant job opportunities. The construction work is likely to give rise to direct employment of approximately 20 lakh (2 million) man-days and indirect employment of 23 lakh (2.3 million) man-days. Going beyond that, the project is set to trigger further job creation through additional economic activity in the surrounding areas.

With enhanced port connectivity and shorter travel durations, the Badvel–Nellore road is expected to be a driving force for beefing up Andhra Pradesh’s infrastructure backbone and fostering long-term industrial development.