SCB to demolish 86 properties for road widening

Center Point Café - Bapuji Nagar stretch to measure 70 ft after widening

Having widened the Bowenpally Market Yard Junction, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board is now set to take up widening of two other important bottleneck roads.

According to SCB officials, widening of road leading to Bapuji Nagar crossroad from the Center Point Cafe, and Hasmathpet Road will soon begin after traffic diversions are put in place. The road widening tasks have been due for long, compounding the traffic problem in the area. While no demolitions are expected to take place on Hasmathpet road, 86 properties will be demolished on the road leading to Bapuji crossroads.

Hasmathpet road will be widened from Bowenpally Market Junction to Pulla Reddy House by 10 ft on each side. The bitumen part of the road currently measures 27 ft. No demolitions are planned as sufficient land is said to exist for the purpose.

The road leading to Bapuji Nagar crossroad currently measures 50 ft wide and will measure 70 ft after widening. Before demolition of properties on the road begins, SCB plans to repair the bridge on the road. While the bridge is being repaired, officials said that the residents would be asked to demolish portions of the properties required for widening the road, if they do not prefer SCB to carry out the demolition.

“The Center Point Cafe road on both sides is mostly occupied by encroachments. Even if somebody has obtained permission for construction, they would have to give up some of their property required for widening as the road has become a major bottleneck,” an SCB official said.

Work on the bridge is expected to start in 10 days if traffic police responds with a diversion plan. The police it seems will have to walk the tight rope in planning diversions in Secunderabad Cantonment as traffic flow on the stretch leading to Tadbund crossroad along the Begumpet Airport boundary wall is now restricted to one way.

However, if either the Hasmpathpet or Bapuji Nagar roads are closed without easing traffic flow on the Tadbund Road, traffic control could get out of hand, fear SCB officials.