Development of Benz Circle flyover at snail's pace

Vijayawada: Development works in the city that have been taken up by the Andhra Pradesh state government are moving at a snail's pace. Despite the delay in projects such as the Kanaka Durga flyover, and the seed axis road in Amaravati, the state government recently directed officials to complete the Benz Circle flyover, and the four-laning of NH-9 between Machilipatnam and Vijayawada, by July 2018; and it seems impossible that this deadline will be met.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to complete the flyover work on time, and to inaugurate it in August 2018, at any cost. Based on the CM’s instructions, officials have prepared a design for the 1.6 km flyover which will start at Gurunanak Colony Junction. The designs specify that two separate bridges comprising four lanes will be constructed, in addition to the existing four lane national highway. Regular city traffic will use the existing road, and heavy vehicles will be diverted through the flyover, which will join the national highway at Skew Bridge Junction. An animation video has been released by the State Government to portray this design.

The AP government, with the approval of the National Highways Authority, has also taken up the four-laning of NH-9 from Machilipatnam to Benz Circle in Vijayawada. Officials have started the 64.6 km road-widening work at an estimate cost of Rs 740.70 crore; and a majority of land acquisition for this has been completed. Officials have started work on four major bridges, five minor bridges, five foot over-bridges and other culverts on the road. Dilip Buildcon Ltd, a Bhopal-based agency, has taken up the flyover work as well as the NH-9 extension work.

However, despite deadlines set by the government, the work is proceeding extremely slowly. The government is facing criticism for announcing due dates even before starting the work. YSRC city president Vellampalli Srinivas said, “The government is trying to bluff people with false statements. Constructing the Benz Circle flyover is not an easy task, as 70 per cent of city’s traffic passes through that junction. Announcing due dates and creating a hype has become common.”  

Machilipatnam MP Konakalla Narayana Rao said, “The extension of NH-9 and the Benz Circle flyover will be done on time. A major part of the land acquisition has been completed, and the Cent-ral government is ready to release the required funds. We will answer the opposition parties by completing the works on time.”