Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, on his one-day visit to Telangana, announced road projects worth Rs 40,800 crore for the state including two express highways and 12 National Highways here on Monday.

The minister said two express highways will be developed, one connecting Hyderabad to Bengaluru at an estimated cost of Rs 8,400 crore and the other from Hyderabad to Vijayawada at an expense of Rs 7,600 crore.

Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for four-laning of Yadagirigutta to Warangal section of NH-163, a stretch of 99 kilometres at an estimated cost of Rs 1,905 crore as well as formal inauguration of the bridge constructed across river Godavari from Mullakatta of Warangal to Pusur of Khammam district at Madikonda on Monday, he said the expansion of the highway will be completed within 30 months.

While the total funds earmarked for the development of national highways in Telangana is Rs 40,800 crore, 12 state highways covering a total distance of 1780 km will be developed utilising Rs 24,800 crore from the fund allocated for the state, the minister clarified.

“If the state governments sends the DPRs for more projects, we are ready to sanction them this year,” he promised. Gadkari also added that the Central government is planning to develop inland waterways on Godavari and other rivers in the state.

Union minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya, deputy CM Kadiyam Srihari, R&B minister Thummala Nageswar Rao and others were present. Earlier, Gadkari was accorded a warm welcome at Begumpet airport in Hyderabad by state BJP leaders.

Later, the Union Minister met KCR at the camp office. In the evening, Gadkari addressed a public meeting at Malkajgiri where he listed out the various schemes implemented by the BJP-led NDA government.