Centre clears six-lane upgrade for Telangana’s northern RRR, project cost spikes

Hyderabad: The Centre has approved converting the northern segment of Telangana’s Regional Ring Road (RRR) into a six-lane highway, scrapping earlier plans for a four-lane corridor after a fresh traffic survey found volumes had been severely undercounted.

Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had flagged the initial proposal, citing poor data quality and the absence of required supporting surveys. The earlier assessment, submitted under the previous state administration, reported low traffic density, prompting the Centre to issue tenders in December 2024 for a four-lane road.

After the Congress government took office, it halted the process and directed a fresh traffic study. The revised survey included multiple parameters and concluded that current and projected traffic warranted six lanes. The state asked the Centre to revise the plan accordingly.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has agreed, and the proposal is now being reworked. The shift to six lanes has driven up the projected cost, which is now under review at the NHAI level. Final approval is pending from the ministry and the Union Cabinet. Once cleared, the four-lane tenders will be withdrawn and new bids will be issued.

Land acquisition for the northern arm of the RRR is 90% complete. The remainder will move forward after a tripartite agreement is signed between the Centre, the state, and NHAI. The agreement will allow formal gazette notification and completion of the acquisition process.

The Centre has already cleared the southern section of the RRR, covering 201 km. With both ends moving toward execution, the long-delayed project is expected to gain momentum.