After years of delay, the third and final phase of Guntur’s Inner Ring Road (IRR) project is moving forward under the new coalition government.

Initially stalled, the project has regained momentum, promising to reduce traffic congestion in Guntur and enhance regional connectivity. The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) will soon invite tenders for constructing a crucial 4.5-km segment between Swarnabharathi Nagar and Palakaluru.

Estimated to cost between Rs 48 and Rs 50 crore, this phase will complete the originally proposed 11-km four-lane highway first planned in 2005 by the VGTM Urban Development Authority. The IRR is intended to connect Perecherla in western Guntur to NH-65 near Autonagar, enabling heavy vehicles from Palnadu to bypass the city.

While the initial two phases (6.7 km) were completed between 2010 and 2018, the final phase was delayed due to land acquisition issues. These have now largely been resolved, with Rs 6.35 crore in compensation paid, and Rs 10,000 monthly allowances provided to affected landowners.