Commuters traveling between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh can now access the region's first access-controlled greenfield expressway (NH-365BG), which has opened informally for vehicular movement. Traffic was permitted onto the newly constructed route starting Sunday, August 2, while an official inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place within the coming week.
Project Investment and Distance-Based Tolling
Constructed under the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana initiative, the 162.04-kilometer-long expressway was built at a total expenditure of 4,609 crore rupees. According to NHAI Project Officer K. Divya, toll collection calculated strictly according to distance traveled will commence immediately after the formal inauguration. At present, engineers are carrying out load testing on a key railway overbridge along the highway to verify structural safety and load capacity prior to full-scale operations.
Construction Delays and Route Integration
The opening of this highway comes after a delay of several months, primarily caused by pending work on the railway overbridge located at Dhamsalapuram. While the vast majority of the expressway infrastructure had been completed nearly a year ago, the bridge work held up final clearance. With the construction now fully finalized, motorists can directly join the expressway from Tallampadu village in Khammam district and travel seamlessly to Devarapalle in Andhra Pradesh.
Travel Time Savings and Regional Connectivity
The newly operational route brings substantial relief to commuters traveling between Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. By utilizing this corridor, the driving distance between the two commercial hubs drops by approximately 60 kilometers, cutting travel time by 1 to 2 hours. The expressway effectively bypasses the dense urban traffic of Khammam city. Vehicles arriving from Suryapet can enter the high-speed corridor at Tallampadu and exit directly at Devarapalle, providing seamless transit for long-distance travelers heading toward Rajamahendravaram, Nuzvid, Odisha, and Kolkata.
Speed Limits, Security, and Highway Facilities
To ensure motorist safety, authorities have set maximum speed limits of 100 km/h for passenger cars and 80 km/h for heavy commercial vehicles. Surveillance monitoring is enforced via high-definition CCTV cameras positioned at every one-kilometer interval along the entire corridor. The infrastructure features 9 strategic interchanges to facilitate smooth entry and exit for neighboring towns. Additionally, dedicated truck parking hubs have been set up at Vandanam and Choudavaram to offer safe resting areas for freight drivers. Mirroring the tolling framework of the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road, drivers will pay toll charges corresponding only to the exact distance covered. Geographically, about 105 kilometers of the total 162.04-kilometer stretch passes through Khammam district in Telangana.
