As the construction of the greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, 45 km from Visakhapatnam, is on the fast track, the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) has initiated steps to address one of the key issues of road connectivity to the airport. The VMRDA has decided to develop 15 road points ranging from 1.4 km to 9.9 km (totalling 75.52 km) on a fast-track basis, at an estimated cost of ₹390 crore, including compensation for land acquisition if necessary. “We will most likely go out to tender in April 2025 for the newly proposed connecting roads towards the airport. . The 15 roads will be widened with scenic features, and some of them will be greenfield roads. We are targeting to complete them by June 2026. We hope that the airport will also be operational by that time,” VMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner K.S. Viswanathan told The Hindu on Monday. The 15 road points include a 6.5 km road from Boddavalasa (Ainada Junction) to Vizianagaram Ring Road, Ice Factory Junction. It will be widened from the current 9 meters to 24 meters. The 6.6 km Dakamarri-Ravada road will be widened by 30 meters, the 6.32 km Chippada-Polipalli by 24 meters, the 3.6 km Chittivalasa (Thagarapuvalasa) to Mulakkuddu by 45 meters. Similarly, the 4 km Nerellavalasa - Tallavalasa road will be widened by 24 meters, the 6.2 km road from Vellanki to Kummaripalem by 60 meters, the 6 km road from Boyapalem Junction to Mangamaripeta Junction by 30 meters. Also, the 2.2 km from Ganbhiram to the Highway road the 1.4 km road from Paradesipalem to Gambhiram (18 meters), the 6.30 km road from Marikivalasa Junction to Thimmapuram Junction (30 meters), and the 1.7km road from Sivashakti Nagar to Haritha Projects (24 meters) are proposed to be widened. In the same way, the 8 km road from Adivivaram Junction to Gandigudam (60 meters), the 9.9 km road from Gandigudam to Chintapalem on Araku Road (60 meters), the 6.05 km road from Vepagunta to Juttada (24 meters) and the 7.25 km road from Pinagadi Junction to Vepagunta Junction (45 metres) will be widened. It may be mentioned that Union Civil Aviation Minister and Srikakulam Member of Parliament Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, who inspected the airport works in November 2024, had said that the airport would be completed by June 2026 and that it would even be ready before the stipulated deadline. The work is being completed under constant monitoring by the State and Central governments, he said, while adding that the quality of the construction met the international standards. He said that he inspected the works of terminal building, ATC tower, aero bridges and administrative offices, of the airport.