The upgraded 68-km Karimnagar-Warangal section of National Highway-563 (NH-563) is poised to transform connectivity along the corridor, with the four-lane stretch expected to cut travel time, facilitate smoother movement and give a fillip to tourism and economic activity.

With about 99% of the works completed , the upgraded section is awaiting inauguration, with only miscellaneous works remaining, official sources said.

The stretch from the Manakondur bypass near Karimnagar  to Palivelpula near Hanamkonda has been four-laned at an estimated cost of ₹2,414 crore.

The upgrade is expected to reduce the travel distance by around 11 km and bring down the journey time from about 90 minutes to nearly 50 minutes.

Besides easting the movement of motorists, the upgraded highway is designed to facilitate faster transportation of agricultural produce to markets, strengthen regional logistics and improve links between key commercial and industrial centres.

The improved connectivity is also expected to benefit pilgrims and tourists travelling to major pilgrim and heritage destinations, including the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada, Sri Matsya Girindra Swamy temple at Kothagattu, the historic Bhadrakali temple, the Thousand Pillar Temple and Warangal Fort.

It will also strengthen connectivity to important textile and granite hubs in the region.

The project includes an advanced traffic management system for real-time monitoring and incident management as well as  a 24x7 Command and Control Centre for integrated monitoring and emergency response.