HYDERABAD: The World Bank's assistance will be sought for the Rs. 1600 crore Andhra Pradesh State road project that is expected to become operational in 2007 and continue for five years thereafter.

This project aims at three and four-laning along with strengthening of about 3,320 km of roads in the State, including some under private-public partnership. About 1500 km of roads will be given under long-term performance based maintenance contract at a cost of Rs. 250 crores. This was indicated by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy at a meeting to review the performance of the Roads & Buildings here on Thursday.

Dr. Reddy directed officials to upgrade all the existing three-lane roads (about 1550 km) into four-lane roads under build-operate-transfer scheme. He agreed to transfer and entrust 10,000 km of roads with high traffic density, which would be called as core road network, to the Road Development Corporation for further maintenance and construction management.

He also gave instructions to release the balance of Rs. 21 crores of funds to the R & B department. The Centre released only Rs. 21 crores out of Rs. 42 crores it had sanctioned.

The total length of roads in the State is 2.16-lakh km of which only 1.10 lakh km is black topped and 41,000 km metalled. National highways in the State run to a length of 4,649 km and State highways run to a length of 9,212 km.

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