The Centre has given in-principle approval to widen a 71.25-km stretch of National Highway 42 between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka into a four-lane road, a proposal aimed at addressing hazardous curves, poor road alignment and 10 identified accident black spots in Anantapur district.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari agreed in principle 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, according to an official press release.
The proposed work covers the stretch from kilometre 4/350 to 75/600. It passes through Anantapur district headquarters, the mandals of Uravakonda, Kuderu and Vidapanakallu, and several villages and densely populated settlements. The route also runs through the Uravakonda Assembly constituency.
Keshav said the existing two-lane highway has several sharp curves and inadequate horizontal and vertical alignments, particularly along sections passing through villages and residential areas. The proposed four-laning is expected to improve road safety, ease traffic movement and strengthen connectivity between towns and villages in the district.
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 highway therefore forms part of a longer inter-state road connection, while the approved-in-principle intervention is limited to the 71.25-km stretch in and around Anantapur district.
The road was upgraded from a State Highway to a National Highway in 2010. The Anantapur stretch was widened into a two-lane road with paved shoulders during 2015–16. However, major geometric improvements and bypasses were not undertaken, leaving sharp curves and sections where highway traffic passes through inhabited areas.
The identification of 10 accident black spots places road geometry and settlement movement at the centre of the proposed upgrade. In villages and densely populated areas, through traffic shares the road environment with local residents and other users, while inadequate vertical and horizontal alignment can limit visibility and reduce the margin for safe movement.
Keshav urged the Centre to prioritise the four-laning work, citing growing traffic and road-safety concerns. The official announcement confirms the in-principle approval, but the material supplied does not specify a project cost, construction schedule, land-acquisition plan, tender timeline or completion date.
