North Andhra’s New Lifeline: The ₹1,172 Crore Gateway to Odisha

The Andhra Pradesh government has approved the construction of the Chilakapalem–Ramabhadrapuram–Rayagada (CRR) road, a major infrastructure project aimed at enhancing connectivity between North Andhra and neighbouring Odisha.

The project, with an estimated cost of ₹1,172 crore, will be developed under the public–private partnership (PPP) hybrid annuity model (HAM), with construction expected to commence shortly. Spanning 131 km, the CRR road will link the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Parvathipuram–Manyam with Odisha and forms part of a broader plan to develop three key road corridors in North Andhra.

While detailed project reports (DPRs) were prepared for all three proposed roads by the state’s Roads & Buildings department, only the CRR road received approval due to its strategic and economic importance. The other two projects—Vizianagaram–Palakonda via Rajam (72 km) and Kalingapatnam–Parvathipuram via Rayagada (108 km)—were not cleared as they did not meet commercial viability benchmarks.

The approval of the CRR road marks a significant step towards strengthening regional infrastructure, improving inter-state connectivity, and facilitating smoother movement of goods and passengers between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.