The Centre has given in-principle approval to widen a 71.25-km stretch of National Highway 42 in Andhra Pradesh into a four-lane road, a proposal aimed at addressing hazardous curves, settlement crossings and 10 identified accident black spots in Anantapur district.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari responded positively to the proposal after Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav met him in New Delhi on Saturday and submitted a letter seeking the highway’s upgrade. The approval was disclosed in an official press release.
The proposed widening covers the section from kilometre 4/350 to 75/600. It passes through Anantapur district headquarters and the mandals of Uravakonda, Kuderu and Vidapanakallu, as well as several villages and densely populated settlements. The highway connects Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and serves towns and rural communities along the route.
Keshav said the existing two-lane highway has several sharp curves and inadequate horizontal and vertical alignments. These deficiencies are particularly significant along sections passing through villages and residential areas, where through traffic shares road space with local movement and settlement access.
The 71.25-km stretch is expected to receive four-laning to improve road safety and ease traffic movement. The proposal also includes the need for major geometric improvements and bypasses, although the official information does not specify a construction schedule, project cost, land-acquisition plan or tender timeline.
National Highway 42 was upgraded from a State Highway in 2010. The Anantapur section was subsequently widened into a two-lane road with paved shoulders during 2015–16. However, major geometric corrections and bypasses were not undertaken, leaving hazardous curves and portions of the road running through built-up areas.
NH 42 begins at Joldarasi on NH 67 in Karnataka and runs through Uravakonda, Anantapur, Raptadu, Kadiri, Palamaner and Kuppam before terminating at Krishnagiri on NH 48 in Tamil Nadu. The proposed intervention therefore concerns a segment of a longer inter-state road corridor, while the immediate request focuses on the Anantapur district section.
The route’s safety concerns have been identified alongside rising traffic and the road’s role in connecting towns and villages. Keshav urged the Centre to prioritise the four-laning proposal on those grounds. Further details on approvals, design, land requirements and implementation are yet to be announced.
