The much-delayed Asilmetta flyover is now likely to be completed by January 2013. With the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation resolving the issues relating to structural compensation and land with the Railways, work is expected to progress.
New Municipal Commissioner M.V. Satyanarayana, who took stock of the progress on Tuesday, told reporters that 10 per cent of the Rs.10 crore towards structural compensation to the Railways had been paid. Work on the 1.1-km flyover began in December 2008 and was scheduled to be completed in two years. The flyover and subway are part of the Rs.452-crore project that includes the Simhachalam and Pendurti corridors of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). The flyover length has been extended by 0.5 km — from 1.1 km to 1.6 km — and the extension proposal itself took considerable time. The extended part has to be completed by January.
Besides, it has been decided to give 25 acres of land to the Railways in lieu of the six acres of land required for the flyover and corridors of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS).
Mr. Satyanaryana said though in lieu of six acres of land 12.25 acres had to be given in 1:2 ratio towards land of equitable value, the Railways had sought more citing other pieces of land given. Hence a total of 25 acres of land would be given at Mudasarlova.
Besides, 18 structures were involved of which four were settled. “The others will also be taken up and the progress monitored on a day-to-day basis so as to complete it by January,” the Commissioner said. The contractor would be given advance, if necessary.
BRTS tangle
The two BRTS corridors together have 1,566 structures and 1,198 have been removed. While 254 on which agreement has been reached have to be demolished, 348 more, including 80 pending in the court, have to be resolved. The GVMC plans to remove them by December to pave the way for progression of the project work. Funds are also a constraint as the GVMC has to bear the bill for structural compensation.
