Bhogapuram Airport 84% done: Vizag Beach Corridor project to cut commute by 45 min revived

Vizianagaram: The most-awaited dream of the people of Andhra Pradesh is moving closer to reality, with the Alluri Seetharama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram taking shape at a rapid pace.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the construction company GMR to accelerate the work and ensure completion by June 2026. Responding to these instructions, GMR, in partnership with L&T, has intensified efforts to deliver the project ahead of schedule.

While only 31.80 per cent of the airport construction had been completed during the YSRCP regime, the figure jumped to 84 per cent by the end of July under the present TDP government, the State government said.

Road connectivity push

To ensure swift travel to the new airport, the government has revived the long-pending Beach Corridor project, which will cut travel time from Visakhapatnam city to Bhogapuram to just 45 minutes. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for land acquisition and road expansion worth Rs 2,800 crore has already been prepared.

The proposed corridor includes a bridge over the Gosthani River at Mulakoddy, connecting Visakhapatnam Port via Bhimili to Bhogapuram. This project, now given a fresh push, is expected to complement the airport and be ready within ten months. Elevated corridors will also be taken up in parallel.

In addition, the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) has identified 15 internal roads to be widened into four-lane stretches, improving regional connectivity. Key stretches include:

Vizianagaram Ring Road – Ainada Junction

Sonthyam – Adavivaram

Dorathota – Kapuluppada

Maddilapalem – Borapalam – Sheelanagar

For this purpose, the government has sanctioned Rs 390 crore, with tenders worth Rs 174.64 crore already floated for the first seven priority roads, targeted for completion by June 2026.

In a recent meeting, VMRDA Chairman MV Pranav Gopal directed officials to speed up the work related to Visakhapatnam Metro Rail (VMR) and the master plan roads connected to the Bhogapuram Airport. Tenders have also been invited for some roads connected to the international airport to ease the traffic movement, and the works are to be completed by 2026.

Tackling city congestion

To ease traffic snarls on the busy Aganampudi–Kommadi corridor on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam, the government has approved four elevated corridors at:

Aganampudi – Lankelapalem

Steel Plant – BHEL

Satyam Junction – Hanumanthawaka

Madhurawada Sports Ground – Kommadi

Airport Facilities – Phase I

The Bhogapuram International Airport is being developed on 2,203 acres, with an additional 500 acres recently handed over for allied facilities.

Key highlights of the first phase include:

1. 22 Aerobridges

2. Terminal building spanning 81,000 sq. meters

3. Two runways, each 3.8 km long

4. Annual passenger handling capacity: 6 million (initially), scalable to 40 million in phases

Future Development Zones

The project is not limited to aviation alone. The airport region is planned to evolve into a multi-sector hub with focus areas such as:

1. Aerospace and Industrial Parks

2. Education and Healthcare Hubs

3. Aero City and Component Industries

4. Health, Hospitality, and Manufacturing Clusters

Phase II of the development is expected to commence around 2030, transforming Bhogapuram into a world-class aviation and economic hub for Andhra Pradesh.