₹13,724-crore railway works under way in Guntur district, including eight road-over-bridges: Pemmasani

Railway infrastructure projects worth a cumulative ₹13,724.70 crore are currently under way in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar has said. He noted that the works are aimed at improving the movement of trains and vehicles in the capital city region of Amaravati and across Guntur district.

Overview of the programme

Speaking to The Hindu, Dr. Pemmasani said the package of works spans eight road-over-bridges (ROBs), multiple railway-line doubling projects, new lines and a series of infrastructure upgrades. According to project details, the eight ROBs together account for ₹745.62 crore, while major line-doubling and new-line schemes make up the bulk of the remaining investment.

Gaddipadu ROB: Foundation stone laid

The latest addition to the portfolio is the Gaddipadu LC-03 road-over-bridge, for which the foundation stone was laid last week. The four-lane structure is coming up on the Guntur–Krishna Canal railway section, between Guntur and Namburu stations.

The ROB has a detailed estimate of ₹147.36 crore and a sanctioned cost of ₹107.79 crore. The land acquisition component is estimated at ₹38.62 crore, and the tender cost stands at ₹69.52 crore.

Designed to span a total of 668 metres, the Gaddipadu ROB will comprise 352 metres on the Guntur side and 316 metres on the Gorantla side. Its configuration includes an 82-metre railway portion, a 418-metre viaduct and a 168-metre reinforced earth wall. The level crossing currently handles an average of 78 trains a day and 15,99,935 train vehicle units (TVUs). Once complete, the bridge is intended to eliminate the level-crossing obstruction, segregate road and rail traffic and cut waiting times at the railway gate.

The project is seen as particularly significant for the Guntur Inner Ring Road, which carries city traffic as well as vehicles moving from Narasaraopet, Sattenapalli, Nagarjuna Sagar and Hyderabad towards Amaravati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam via Guntur. It will also aid connectivity between the Amaravati–Anantapur Highway network and the city.

Eight ROBs planned across key locations

Beyond Gaddipadu, the district’s ROB programme includes the following projects:

– Sankar Vilas ROB: ₹98 crore
– Pedapalakaluru ROB: ₹49.95 crore
– Mangalagiri ROB: ₹142 crore
– Nandivelugu ROB: ₹36.91 crore
– Syamala Nagar ROB: ₹78.46 crore
– Sanjeevaiah Nagar ROB: ₹80.94 crore
– E-13 Yerrabalem–AIIMS ROB: ₹112 crore

Major line-doubling and new-line projects

Several large-scale rail capacity enhancement projects are also in progress in the district:

– Guntur–Guntakal doubling: ₹4,306 crore
– Guntur–Bibinagar doubling: ₹2,853 crore
– Guntur–Tenali doubling: ₹205 crore

Two significant new lines have been taken up to expand network reach and improve regional connectivity:

– Errupalem–Amaravati–Namburu new line: ₹2,047 crore
– Nadikudi–Srikalahasti new line: ₹3,407 crore

Supporting infrastructure upgrades

Complementing the major civil works, a set of targeted infrastructure upgrades has been initiated to address capacity, safety and drainage requirements along busy corridors. These include:

– Savalyapuram–Guntur traction upgrade: ₹142 crore
– Mondi Gate Bridge 6A box culvert works: ₹6.23 crore
– Budampadu–Vejendla track culvert expansion: ₹9.17 crore

Intended outcomes

According to Dr. Pemmasani, the current slate of projects has been conceived to streamline the flow of both rail and road traffic, reduce gate closures and waiting times at level crossings, and improve safety by segregating road and rail movements. The combination of doubling works, new lines and ROBs is also expected to boost capacity on principal routes feeding Amaravati, Vijayawada and other key urban centres through Guntur.

Significance for Amaravati–Guntur mobility

With the Amaravati capital region depending on robust transport links to adjacent districts and national corridors, the upgrades are positioned as essential enablers of mobility. In particular, the ROBs spanning busy approaches and arterial routes—such as the Guntur Inner Ring Road and the Amaravati–Anantapur Highway connections—are intended to ease bottlenecks and ensure smoother passage for through-traffic bound to and from Narasaraopet, Sattenapalli, Nagarjuna Sagar, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.

Conclusion

The ₹13,724.70-crore programme—anchored by eight ROBs and multiple doubling and new-line projects—marks a significant expansion of rail and road interface infrastructure in Guntur district. As construction advances, officials say the works are designed to enhance safety, reduce congestion at level crossings and improve connectivity across the Amaravati region’s critical transport corridors.