National Highway in Vizag Will Be Expanded To Six Lane

The proposal to expand NH-16 from a four lane to a six lane highway has come to fruition. A survey has been completed and submitted to concerned authorities for the same. 16 years ago, the 100 KM stretch of the national highway was expanded to a four lane one.

The proposal to expand it to a six lane one was brought up five years ago after the necessary land was acquired in Srikakulam district. A private organisation from Bangalore has now conducted a survey calculating the number of vehicles using the route daily and the peak timings of traffic. They found out that more than 10,000 vehicles use the highway on a daily basis.

Of the 100 KM stretch, 64 KM falls under Srikakulam District and the rest comes under Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts. To expand the highway in Srikakulam alone would cost Rs 1200 crore. The remaining money would be spent expanding the stretch between Anandapuram and Srikakulam district border.

At a Janmabhoomi meeting held recently, the expansion was announced by Srikakulam district collector P Lakshmi Narsimham. As part of the expansion project, flyovers will also be constructed in busy junctions. The traffic on the NHAI has increased due to the coming up of various educational institutes and establishments along the highway in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.