Proposal to expand Rajiv Rahadhari remains in pipeline for a year

The proposed Rs 400-crore project to convert Rajiv Rahadhari into an eight-lane express highway has remained stalled for a year due to a fund crunch. The project aims to reduce accidents by removing curves and creating a new alignment away from villages

Mancherial: A proposal to convert Rajiv Rahadhari into an eight-lane express highway has remained in the pipeline for the past year.

Rajiv Rahadhari is an important road connecting the northern districts of Telangana. It accounts for about 40 per cent of all road accidents occurring in the State. Many lives have been lost in collisions between vehicles at curves and junctions along the road, causing concern among motorists and road safety activists.

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Keeping these problems in mind, the government decided in September 2025 to expand the stretch at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore, with the aim of reducing accidents. It planned to remove curves and construct a new route by acquiring land, if required.

The proposed new route is designed to pass through agricultural fields instead of following the existing road, which runs through villages. The new alignment is expected to reduce accidents and bring relief to motorists. Road users had welcomed the government’s decision.

However, the project has remained in cold storage for the past year. The much-awaited project has failed to take off due to a fund crunch. Officials said work would commence once funds were sanctioned.

The highway was originally developed around 30 years ago and was converted into a four-lane stretch in 2014. It was subsequently named Rajiv Rahadhari.