Hyderabad: New routes to cut down rush from main arteries

Hyderabad: For major congested areas, the GHMC has identified alternative routes that will be made along-side the main carriageway. This is being done in the wake of the heavy growth in traffic and a delay in executing the strategic road development plan.

A majority of the alternatives planned are in the western corridor, since the most-congested spot identified was the Cyber Gateway junction. The IT corridor experiences traffic jams 24x7. GHMC’s Serilingampally Circles 11 and 12 launched surveys to identify alternative roads and have hit upon a solution to reduce traffic by 50 per cent.

“The alternative roads have been mainly planned on stretches having a narrow width. This change in route will reduce the traffic load on the main carriageway. Commuters will be informed through signboards and diverted by traffic cops. The roads will be connecting to the main roads. However, roads passing through residential areas will be avoided, for fear that the traffic load will increase in the colonies. These alternatives roads will be developed and recarpeted with bitumen and the width too will be increased,” said GHMC commissioner Dr B. Janardhan Reddy.

“The GHMC local engineering wing can sanction money for works worth less than Rs 2 crore. If it exceeds Rs2 crore, it goes to the GHMC’s projects wing. To avoid delay, it has been decided to split the work,” the official said.

Also, major bottlenecks like streetlights (440) and transformers (61) that are obstructing traffic would be removed. The GHMC in its recent council meeting approved a proposal to take up white-topping of 22 roads before the onset of the monsoon. But the move may get derailed as shifting of utilities, like water lines, may get delayed.