The progress of work on Inner Ring Road (IRR) is likely to gain momentum with the railways clearing decks for construction of Road over Bridge (RoB) Ramavarappadu ring road. The Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTM UDA) has paid Rs. 7.53 crore for constructing the proposed RoB, and is gearing up to construct the approaches for the Ramavarappadu RoB.
The IRR has been hitting the headlines ever since the UDA conceived the idea in 2006. However, the foundation stone was laid, just before general elections, for commencement of works in February 2009. The UDA, has since then, completed phase-I works from Milk project to Ajithsingh Nagar, and is now all set to take up phase II and III. The UDA already commenced phase –IV works in February this year, and they are expected to be complete in nine months. Rest of the works are expected to be complete in the next 18 months.
The RoB, which is 700-metre long including approaches, will pass over Machilipatnam railway track, Ryves and Eluru canals and Budameru drain near Ramavarappadu. The UDA has invited tenders for the construction of approaches to the RoBs a while ago, but they had to be cancelled for technical reasons and fresh tenders invited. The tendering process is likely to complete in next couple of months, officials say. The UDA has been awaiting clearance from the railway for two RoBs -- one at Gunadala and another at Ramavarappadu-- that were planned for uninterrupted flow of traffic on the IRR. The Railways is yet to approve the Gunadala RoB. The IRR project is estimated to cost about Rs. 74.24 crore, and of the total budget, the Central Government would bear Rs. 37.12 crore and the State Government Rs. 14.84 crore. The remaining Rs. 22.27 crore would have to be borne by the VGTM-UDA.
The IRR is being designed to become one of the bypasses to divert the traffic coming from Hyderabad on NH-9 and intending to join NH-5 to go towards Eluru. It means that vehicles can take the Gollapudi bypass and reach Milk Project passing through the tunnel. After crossing the proposed Nainavaram flyover as and when it is completed, vehicles can get on to the IRR. The IRR will pass through Ambapuram and Nuzvid Road (at IBM College) before cutting through Nunna-Gunadala Road at Payakapuram. Here the proposed RoB at Gunadala railway station will become part of the IRR, so that vehicles can finally join NH-5 at Ramavarappadu. As and when this is also completed, it is expected to become much easier for vehicles to join NH-5 by almost completely avoiding city traffic.
