Vehicle users, who tried entering the Kandlakoi stretch of the Nehru Outer Ring Road (ORR) at Medchal on Wednesday, were a disappointed lot. Though the stretch was ceremoniously thrown open the previous day by Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao, vehicles are not yet being allowed on it.
Contrary to claims by the Minister, who said the 158-km ORR is now complete, works are still going on the Kandlakoi stretch, and the road will be closed for vehicles for a few more days. The single point toll collection too has not begun yet, though the toll plaza and the Toll Administrative Building were launched on Tuesday.
As things stand on Wednesday, BT works were still being done on the approach roads, which facilitate entry and exit onto the ORR. The embankment or gradient on either side of the ORR is yet to be firmed up. Truckloads of earth were seen being dumped on the slope for this purpose.
Though officials have assured that by Sunday, vehicles will be allowed on the main carriage way, staff carrying out the works are not too sure about it. It will take at least three more months for all the works to be complete, they said.
Commissioner of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) T. Chiranjeevulu said vehicles were not being allowed on ORR as crash barriers were not yet in place. “From Sunday, we will allow vehicles only in day time, as lighting is yet to be provided. We cannot take risk by allowing vehicles on the main carriageway without crash barriers,” Mr. Chiranjeevulu said. He said the approach roads were ready.
Toll is already being collected at four points, and the single point collection will take another week to kick off, he said.
Work on the 1.1-km Medchal Interchange at Kandlakoi was held up for long, owing to the stay orders from the Supreme Court. Recently, after the stay was vacated, the HMDA went ahead with works to complete the stretch. The total length of the road including main carriageway, service roads and ramps adds up to 9.8 km, forming the shape of double trumpet. The cost of construction is ₹125 crore.
The interchange helps traffic from Nagpur, Patancheru, Pedda Amberpet and the city for accessing or exiting ORR. Due to the incomplete stretch, vehicles are forced to take a detour of three kilometres to join with ORR again.
