Hyderabad: Biodiversity flyover hangs in the balance

Hyderabad: Lack of co-ordination between the GHMC and the traffic police is delaying Level-2 Flyover at the Biodiversity junction. A multi-level flyover at Biodiversity junction is part of the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP) Package 4. The two flyovers are needed to ease traffic at the Biodiversity junction.

Work on the two flyovers (Level-1 and Level-2) are not progressing due to different reasons. The Level-2 flyover which is the bigger of the two is getting delayed as the traffic police do not want to put the commuters to inconvenience by blocking the road for one year. In last two years only 14 foundation pillars could be laid, another 14 have yet to be laid.

The existing road is 26 metre wide with 12 metres on each side of the road and a 2-metre median. The GHMC reportedly offered to leave six meters on each side of the road for movement of traffic until the construction of Level-2 flyover was complete. Cyberabad traffic DCP A.R. Srinivas said, “Considering the quantum of traffic that passes through the area, we cannot put all these people including office-goers and school children to inconvenience for one year and beyond. The 1-hour journey will become a 4-hour trip if the width of the road is reduced. The GHMC has to widen the road and give us enough space for free flow of traffic, which is not the case now.”

Level-2 flyover can be built by placing barricades, but to dig foundation GHMC needs permission from the traffic police which they are not able to secure, said an official. 

Despite several joint inspections by the GHMC and traffic police officials, the two parties couldn’t arrive to a consensus. Also, hotels at the Biodiversity junction do not have a proper drainage line, and dispose drainage on road. Due to this overflow, traffic congestion is enhanced further, creating inconvenience to commuters. GHMC has taken up remedial measures about the drainage line a proposal for which is being made.

Mr Srinivas said, “The drainage work has to be completed and the road has to be widened. GHMC has to give us proper passage for traffic. We cannot allow them to block the road without levelling it up as it is in the interest of public.” Besides, the wall which was demolished at the Biodiversity junction for the flyover work has not been constructed again. 

Under the SRDP package IV, while the works of the Biodiversity junction are badly delayed, there is swift progress in the work related to the underpass and flyover at Mind Space Junction and the flyover at Rajiv Gandhi Statue Junction near JNTU. The Ayyappa society underpass is ready for inauguration.