HYDERABAD: The state government is planning to independently undertake the construction of the southern part of the Regional Ring Road (RRR) project, without relying on the Centre for funds, according to official sources. This decision comes in response to prolonged delays in the execution of the northern part of the RRR project, which was approved by the Centre in 2018.
Under the original 2018 agreement,, the Centre was responsible for covering the construction cost of the RRR project, while the state government was tasked with bearing 50 per cent of the land acquisition cost. The remaining 50 per cent were to be borne by the Centre. However, the project has faced delays, with no work taken up on the ground even after five years, primarily due to disagreements over cost-sharing between the Centre and the state government during the tenure of the previous BRS government regime.
Since the Congress government assumed office in December 2023, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy prioritised the acceleration of the RRR project. The Chief Minister has been holding meetings with roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and senior officials multiple times each month to expedite the project.
The state government is now keen on starting the construction of both the northern and southern parts of the RRR project, with the goal of completing the entire project within four years. In light of the delays with the northern part, the Chief Minister wants to move forward with the southern section independently to ensure the completion of the entire RRR project by 2028.
The Chief Minister is also advocating a realignment of the southern section to facilitate connectivity to the upcoming Fourth City in Mucherla. He has directed officials to submit a report on the realignment, as well as the funds required to complete the southern section independently.
Officials estimate that the length of the southern part will increase from 189 kilometres to 195 kilometres if connectivity is extended to the Fourth City. The Chief Minister has also suggested that officials prepare proposals for executing the southern section independently through a public-private partnership (PPP) model and explore options for securing loans from the World Bank at lower interest rates. The estimated cost for completing the southern part of the RRR project is approximately Rs 15,000 crore.
