NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the development of the 4-lane Badvel–Nellore Highway in Andhra Pradesh under the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) model. The 108.134 km long corridor will be built at a total capital cost of ₹3,653.10 crore.
Starting from Gopavaram Village on National Highway NH-67 in YSR Kadapa District and ending at Krishnapatnam Port Junction on NH-16 (Chennai–Kolkata) in SPSR Nellore District, the corridor will offer direct and strategic connectivity to Krishnapatnam Port, a key priority node under the Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC).
This new highway will serve as a vital link to major industrial hubs including:
- Kopparthy Node on the Visakhapatnam–Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC),
- Orvakal Node on the Hyderabad–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (HBIC), and
- Krishnapatnam Node on the CBIC.
The corridor will reduce the travel distance to Krishnapatnam Port by 33.9 km (from 142 km to 108.13 km), cutting travel time by one hour and resulting in lower fuel consumption, reduced vehicle operating cost (VOC), and a smaller carbon footprint.
The project is expected to generate 20 lakh man-days of direct employment and 23 lakh man-days of indirect employment. It will also trigger additional job creation through increased economic activity along the route.
This strategic infrastructure initiative is set to boost Andhra Pradesh’s connectivity, logistics efficiency, and industrial development, while contributing to India’s improved Logistics Performance Index (LPI).
