NH-44 Upgrade: Bengaluru-Hyderabad Travel Time Slashed to 5 Hours

• The Centre has approved a major upgrade for National Highway-44, connecting Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
• The existing NH-44 will be widened into a six-lane, access-controlled expressway, reducing travel time to approximately five hours.
• The decision to upgrade the existing highway was made after a new greenfield corridor was deemed less practical and more costly.
• The 576 km stretch covers 210 km in Telangana, 260 km in Andhra Pradesh, and 106 km in Karnataka.
• Service roads will be built for local and slow-moving traffic, ensuring high-speed flow on the main carriageway.

Why It Matters: NH-44's six-lane upgrade will drastically cut Bengaluru-Hyderabad travel to 5 hours, boosting regional connectivity.