Hyderabad: The Begumpet-Fatehnagar link road that has been under construction for seven years is finally nearing completion. However, there are apprehensions that the link road, when thrown open to vehicular traffic, might create traffic congestions on Sardar Patel Road instead of decongesting it.
The approach road to the link road is not only narrow but vehicles coming from Paradise towards Balkampet will have to go under the Begumpet overbridge and then take a right turn to take the link road.
Motorists coming from Balkampet and Fatehnagar side will exit the link road between a religious structure and Hyderabad Public School main gate where the Begumpet overbridge lands. Experts said that there is a possibility of accident at this point.
Traffic and transport expert Prof P.R. Bhanu Murthy of JNTU said the design of the link road had been different when it was planned. “There was no religious structure then and even the intensity and composition of traffic was different.
Going by the present status of the carriageway, existing buildings and bottlenecks, several interventions have to be made based on the traffic pattern after the link road is opened for vehicular traffic,” he said.
The flyover project was mooted in 1982-83 as part of Hyderabad Area Traffic Studies by a team of experts from Regional Engineering College, Warangal (now National Institute of Technology) led by Prof. Raghavan Chary who is considered a doyen of traffic and transportation studies in the state.
GHMC is spending Rs 23 crore on the link road work, Rs 13 crore on construction of the road under-bridge at the Nature Cure Hospital-Balkampet railway line and Rs 4 crore on shifting of public utilities.
However, GHMC chief engineer R. Dhan Singh said that the approach road would be widened further if required.
Next: Projects worth Rs 200cr pending
Projects worth Rs 200cr pending
Hyderabad: Several transport infrastructure projects like flyovers and overbridges in the city continue to remain on paper.
The GHMC Roads and Buildings department, HMDA and National Highway authorities are dragging their feet on at least Rs 200 crore-worth congestion easing projects in the city.
The Balanagar T junction is a classic example of official apathy.
The proposed flyover at Balanagar T junction is estimated to cost Rs 90 crore.
The GHMC, however, has all but dropped the project. “The corridor belongs to the Roads and Buildings department. Let the R&B spend the money. The GHMC will acquire properties and give to it,” said an official.
The HMDA, meanwhile, is yet to take up the Patigadda-Sanjeevaiah Park-Necklace Road flyover as the GHMC has refused to share the project cost.
The corporation has not been able to even start works on the bridge at Tukaram Gate railway line.
Though the GHMC is busy acquiring properties at Uppuguda and Kandikal gate railway crossings, works on construction of the bridges have not started.
