With traffic jams becoming a daily affair, the Arundelpet Road over-bridge (RoB) has become a motorists’ nightmare at a time when the Guntur Municipal Corporation is gearing to celebrate 150 years of its existence.
The Arundelpet RoB, with a span of 800 metres, is steeped in history as it was the first one in the State and was inaugurated by former Chief Minister Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy in 1965.
Congress stalwarts like Chebrolu Hanumaiah, Kotha Raghuramaiah and others used their clout with the Centre to get a bridge sanctioned during the tenure of T. Prakasam Pantulu, first Chief Minister of the new Andhra State carved out of the Madras Presidency, and which was completed during the tenure of Sanjeeva Reddy.
The RoB remains a vital connecting link between One Town and Two Town, which have seen an exponential development of commercial and residential areas. Most parts of the Two Town, coming under the Guntur West Assembly constituency, are home to some of the wealthiest traders, prominent politicians and officials.
“It has become a daily ordeal for commuters as this is the only way to enter Brodiepet and Arundelpet and Laksmipuram etc. For a while, the police restricted the entry of college buses, ’’ said LSN Prasad, former Reader of Economics, Hindu College. Former MLA T. Venkat Rao had a plan prepared by a Delhi-based consultant which proposed that a flyover be built from the Market Junction right over the Arundelpet RoB and which would end at the Mother Teresa statue centre. But it did not materialise.
Efforts to widen the bridge during 2004-2014 did not bear fruit and during the period, two new RoBs and a Road under Bridge (RuB) came up at Manipuram and at Kankaragunta.
Meet in Delhi soon
Guntur West MLA M. Venugopala Rao, who has repeatedly pursued the matter with the Railway Ministry, said: “ The Arundelpet RoB is not only a vital link in the town but is also a major bridge leading to Amaravati.’’ Member of Parliament Galla Jayadev has also asked Guntur Divisional Railway Manager Vijay Sharma to pursue the matter with the Railway Board. The DRM said a meeting would be held in New Delhi soon to thrash out the issue.
