ANANTAPUR: Unlike the other cities and headquarters with worse road conditions, Anantapur is witnessing rapid development in the roads and bridges sector.
Even as the state government is unable to spend huge funds for roads, the connectivity between the National Highways via Anantapur has helped in the exclusive development of roads here, including internal roads.
As the contractors were hesitant to move forward in other regions, big projects are being implemented with speed in Anantapur. A 9.2 km stretch between two highways passing through the main roads of Anantapur city, done at an estimated cost of Rs 310 crore, was about to be completed through many stages.
Even as the major work, with central funds, was supposed to be completed within two years, an initiative of Urban MLA Ananta Venkatrami Reddy helped put a target for its completion within six months, including the Rail Over Bridge and two RoBs.
The R&B National Highway wing took up the works on a war footing and pressed the construction company to complete all the works before schedule. The road works were done in a speedy manner. The two bridges are now in the final stages and are allowing vehicles from one side to pass through. The laying of the four-lane road between the Chennai Highway and the Bellary Bypass passing through the main centers of the city also progressed well.
The decades-old Rail Over Bridge at Clock Tower was demolished with the help of expert engineers overnight and the debris was shifted in a jiffy.
The widening process was confined to the R&B borders but the shops and buildings closer to the roads occupy the footpath for their access, except for the expansion of bridges at clock tower and pangal roads.
Even the exclusive sanctum of the goddess temple was shifted with the help of technology to help in the road-widening process. In addition, the MLA succeeded to convince the Lalitakala Parishad authorities and the Muslim community to be a part of the widening process.
A mosque along with several shops in the Sapthagiri circle was also asked to be shifted elsewhere and the work was on.
Amid allegations by the TD and the left parties of improper planning and execution of the works to avoid the buildings of ruling party sympathisers, the roadworks progressed fast.
“We asked the construction company to complete the works in one and a half years and a major portion of work is complete,” Urban MLA Ananta Venkatrami Reddy said.
He said another connectivity via the old town through Gooty Road towards the Hyderabad Highway was formed with four lane and there was no traffic inconvenience for the route.
In addition, the four-lane road from Anantapur collectorate via JNTU towards NH 44 connectivity was about to be completed except for a railway bridge enroute. The 80ft road along the Housing Board is in the final stage of a four-lane road laying.
