Andhra govt seeks Centre’s aid to build six-lane bridge

THe Andhra Pradesh authorities has sought-after(a) the telephone exchange assistance for the twist of a six-lane iconic bridge over across Krishna River connecting Vijayawada-Hyderabad national highway (NH-65) with Chennai-Kolkata national highway (NH-16) through Amaravati, the state capital region.Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu put forth the proposal before Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari during his meeting in New Delhi on Friday, the chief minister’s office said in a statement.CM Naidu explained to Gadkari that Amaravati, emerging as a greenfield capital city, requires direct and indirect integration with the national highway grid to support long-term growth, mobility, logistics efficiency, and inter-city access.He requested the Union Minister to prioritise these linkages to accelerate Amaravati’s development.A major point of discussion was the 6-lane iconic cable-stayed bridge proposed by the CM across the Krishna River at Muktyala–Mulapadu connecting it with Rayapudi in Amaravati. Naidu urged the Centre to take up the construction of this bridge through the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).The span of the cable-stayed bridge is approximately 5 kilometres. The bridge is expected to not only ease the congestion at existing crossings, such as the Prakasam Barrage in Krishna district, but also boost connectivity and promote regional development.The chief minister explained that the iconic bridge would connect Amaravati to three crucial national highways, offering seamless links to the Vijayawada–Hyderabad corridor, the Chennai–Kolkata highway, and the coastal road corridor.“The bridge would also integrate Amaravati with the proposed Hyderabad–Amaravati greenfield expressway, enabling high-speed access between the two major cities,” he said.Naidu these improved connections would significantly reduce travel time for citizens, enhance logistics movement, and transform Amaravati into a mobility hub and a strategic logistics node within the national highway network.Terming the iconic bridge a critical infrastructure project for the Andhra Pradesh capital, Naidu requested the Union Minister to extend full central support for its execution.“The chief minister appreciated Minister Gadkari’s sustained efforts in expanding and modernising India’s national highway network, noting that road connectivity has become a key driver of regional development and economic progress,” the CMO statement said.In September, the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) invited public feedback to finalise the designs for the proposed iconic bridge over the Krishna River.It has presented four design options for public voting, including three inspired by Kuchipudi dance mudras. While one design features the letter ‘A’ to symbolize Amaravati, the other three designs draw inspiration from Kuchipudi dance mudras. “The final decision will be based on public voting,” an APCRDA official said.