80-km 4-laning in Telangana to cut congestion, boost freight efficiency and create jobs.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the widening of National Highway-167 from Gudebellur to Mahabubnagar to a 4-lane standard in Telangana. The project, spanning 80.01 km on the Hyderabad–Panaji Economic Corridor, will be implemented at a total capital cost of ₹3,175.08 crore under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) through the NH (O) scheme.
The upgrade addresses persistent travel delays caused by poor road geometry and congestion across highly urbanised stretches, including Gudebellur, Magnoor, Makthal, Marikal, Devarkadra, Jaklair, Yeligandla and Banderpally. Once completed, the 4-lane corridor is expected to significantly improve traffic flow, enhance road safety and reduce travel time across Narayanpet and Mahabubnagar districts.
From a logistics and freight standpoint, the project is set to enhance supply chain efficiency by lowering logistics costs and enabling smoother movement of goods. The alignment integrates with two major national highways, NH-150 and NH-167N, providing seamless connectivity to key economic, social and logistics nodes across Telangana. It will also strengthen multimodal integration by linking three PM GatiShakti economic nodes, nine social nodes and seven logistics nodes, facilitating faster movement of both passengers and cargo.
The corridor connects major cities and towns including Mahabubnagar, Narayanpet, Raichur, Devarkadra, Makthal and Hyderabad, while providing access to critical infrastructure such as Hyderabad airport, four railway stations and two multimodal logistics parks. The project also supports regional economic growth by improving connectivity to industrial clusters, SEZs and pharma and medical hubs around Hyderabad.
In terms of employment, the NH-167 widening is projected to generate around 14.4 lakh person-days of direct employment and 17.9 lakh person-days of indirect employment, with additional job creation expected from increased economic activity along the corridor. With an estimated annual average daily traffic of 17,991 PCUs in FY 2024–25, the upgraded highway is poised to play a pivotal role in strengthening trade, mobility and socio-economic development in the region.
Source: PIB
