As the city is fast turning into a concrete jungle due to large-scale construction activity that picked up pace after the announcement of new Capital City at Amaravati, most morning walkers rely on open grounds in educational institutions in Vijayawada.
This stretch of road was laid a few decades ago to connect the two arterial roads of Vijayawada town, the Eluru and Bandar Roads, named after the two towns they lead to. It was call the Ring Road because of its semi-circular nature. During the Vajpayee regime it was transformed into a four-lane national highway. Services roads and green belts transformed the earlier double-lane road into a major roadway.
The same stretch of road witnessed more development after Amaravati was identified as the new capital and the Ring Road was earmarked as the road which leads to the Gannavaram Airport. The Capital Area Development Authority spent a lot of money on planting exotic plant species on the central divider. The green belts too were cleared of the undergrowth and cordoned of with barbed wire.
But the new walkers’ track developed by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) from Nirmala High School to Ramavarapadu on NH-65 comes as a boon for many residents.
Under its green initiative, the corporation has developed three-km-long stretch with a cost of over Rs.10 lakh. Lush green grass with trees on either side of the track abutting national highway connecting Chennai and Kolkata is sure to help walkers, officials said. The track will be opened to the public at 5.30 a.m. on December 27.
“We first used gravel and later filled it with sand to ensure a hassle-free walking experience. Greenery was developed on either side of the track to give a good ambience,” a senior VMC official said. He said the stretch was identified from Nirmala High School to Ramavarapadu as it is replete with green cover.
A majority of residents from Gunadala, Currency Nagar, Gurunanak Colony, Veterinary Colony, Commercial Taxes Colony and other abutting localities go for a morning walk either to Andhra Loyola College or the Government Polytechnic College. The new track would help walkers a great deal, the official said. VMC Commissioner G. Veerapandian inspected the track on Wednesday.
The corporation plans to convene a meeting with residents and colony welfare associations seeking their suggestions on effective utilisation of the track. “We are organising a 3K run by involving elected representatives, residents and officials after launch of the track on December 27,” said Horticulture Assistant Director G. Anand.
Of late, the busy stretch from Benz Circle, Nirmala High School to Ramavarappadu Ring has been bustling with activity. With eateries, malls, cinema theatres, educational institutions and swanky hotels dotting the highway, it has become an ideal destination for shoppers and foodies.
A major advantage is that the highway connects to Gannavaram airport.
Those coming from Hyderabad and headed to Visakhapatnam and Kolkata proceed via Ramavarappadu Ring via Benz Circle.
A few weeks ago, Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari laid foundation stone for the four-lane Vijayawada-Machilipatnam stretch on NH-65 here. Under the project, a flyover will be constructed at Benz Circle to ease traffic congestion.
From a narrow road connecting to highways the story of the Ring Road, the name still used by many keeps changing every few years.
