Work on the much-awaited Outer Ring Road (ORR) is likely to start within three months. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has completed the land acquisition.
An appointment meeting between the NHAI and Gammon India, which bagged the contract, is scheduled for next week. The works will commence as soon as the meeting is over.
The project, once initiated, would be completed under Built Operate and Transfer system within 30 months. Three toll plazas would come up on the ORR and the toll fee is yet to be decided. The toll fee would be collected based on the distance. The project is estimated to cost Rs.1,624 crore (as per 2011 rates).
The firm needs to execute the works as per original estimates and bear the cost escalation, if any, sources say. The four-lane bypass road starts at Navuluru, Venkatapalem of Guntur district. It passes through Chinakakani and cross Krishna river at Gollapudi. At Venkatapalem a 3.4-km long bridge will be constructed on the river between Guntur district and Gollapudi of Krishna district.
Two bypass roads would be provided at Gannavaram and Hanuman Junction, which is another interesting feature of the project. While a 7-km bypass will come up near Hanuman Junction a 48-km bypass from NRI Hospital near Mangalagiri in Guntur district to Chinautupalli in Krishna district would skirt the National Highway No.5 in Vijayawada to effectively ease traffic congestion.
It will also give a hassle-free run to goods carriers and handle the load of traffic plying between Chennai-Hyderabad, Chennai-Howrah, Howrah-Hyderabad and Howrah-Chennai. Thousands of vehicles that ply on the National Highway pass through Vijayawada city at present.
The proposed ORR would also ease traffic congestion in Krishna, Guntur and West Godavari districts. Moreover, Vijayawada, Guntur, Gannavaram and several surrounding villages, including Mangalagiri, Gollapudi, Nunna, will get a facelift. The Central Cabinet Committee had approved the important project. The cost of land acquisition alone comes to between Rs. 400 and Rs. 450 crore. Construction of a bridge on the river Krishna is a significant part of the 103-km ORR.
