The Telangana government has made a formal request to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, seeking toll-free and seamless vehicle movement on the busy Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway during the upcoming Sankranti festival period.
State Proposes to Bear Toll Cost for Smooth Festival Travel
In a significant move to prevent massive traffic jams, the state's Roads and Buildings Minister, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, has written to the central minister. The request is for a toll waiver on National Highway-65 in both directions from January 9 to January 18. The state has offered a unique solution: it is willing to pay a nominal toll fee to the Union ministry on behalf of all commuters during this ten-day window. This proposal aims to eliminate long queues at key toll plazas like Pantangi, Korlapahad, and Chillakallu, which typically see kilometres-long lines during the festival.
Massive Traffic Volume and Preemptive Measures
The scale of the challenge is immense. Minister Komatireddy revealed that nearly 10 lakh vehicles passed through these toll plazas during the Sankranti period last year. Despite the widespread use of FASTag, the sheer volume leads to hours-long waits, causing major inconvenience. Anticipating a similar or greater rush this year, with daily vehicle movement expected to cross one lakh per day from January 8, the state is taking no chances.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has personally directed officials to prevent or minimise traffic jams. A high-level review meeting was held on Tuesday with police, district collectors, roads and buildings authorities, and National Highway officials. The minister indicated he might meet Gadkari in person in a day or two to press the request.
Comprehensive Action Plan for NH-65
The government has formulated a detailed action plan to ensure smooth traffic flow. Heavy vehicle movement will be restricted during peak days, and no lane closures or major road works will be permitted. Any ongoing highway work must be confined to night hours, with all construction material, debris, and machinery cleared before the festive rush begins.
Officials have been instructed to keep all lanes on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada Highway open and to ensure traffic does not halt at any point. Specific traffic bottlenecks at locations like Choutuppal, Narketpally, Kattangur, Peddakaparthy, Gundrampally, and Tekumatla are to be addressed immediately, including removing encroachments and completing patch works.
Round-the-Clock Monitoring and Emergency Readiness
A dedicated incident management control room will function 24/7. Emergency services, including 108 ambulances, medical teams, cranes, and route patrol vehicles, will be on standby. Special arrangements are also being planned for devotees travelling to the Medaram Jatara in January.
"I will be on road duty myself. All officers must also be on duty. Our goal is clear — traffic-free roads this Sankranti," Minister Komatireddy declared. He also mentioned that efforts are underway to expand NH-65 to eight lanes at the earliest as a permanent solution.
The review meeting saw participation from senior officials of the R&B Department, NHAI, MoRTH, police, and the district administrations of Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, Nalgonda, and Suryapet.
