Andhra Pradesh targets pothole-free roads by January-end: Minister

The Andhra Pradesh government has set an ambitious target of making the State pothole-free, with road repair works scheduled to be completed by the end of January, Roads and Buildings Minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy said on Tuesday. Addressing a media conference at the A.P. Secretariat in Amaravati, the Minister said the government had sanctioned ₹3,000 crore for the repair and development of 10,294 km of roads across the State. Road infrastructure had been accorded top priority after the coalition government assumed office, with funds released promptly to speed up execution of works, he said. Under the Mission Pothole-Free programme, repair works covering 20,060 km were taken up during 2024-25 with an allocation of ₹861 crore. However, heavy rains and cyclones during 2025-26 caused fresh damage to road networks, prompting the government to sanction ₹2,500 crore so far this year to restore and improve 6,035 km of roads. Proposals seeking an additional ₹500 crore for repairing 4,259 km of major district roads and State Highways have also been submitted, he added. The Minister said works on 85 roads connecting mandal and district headquarters were currently in progress, while several other projects were being implemented with funding support from NABARD, the Central Road Fund and other sources. He said the government also planned to develop State Highways through public-private partnership and Hybrid Annuity models to cope with rising traffic volumes. Responding to queries on proposed new tolls, Mr. Janardhan Reddy clarified that two-wheelers, autorickshaws and tractors would be exempted, and tolls would apply only to cars and goods vehicles. Published - December 23, 2025 08:39 pm IST

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