Three much-awaited projects in the city are all set to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the city on Friday. They are the NAD Flyover, the VMRDA Park (earlier known as VUDA Park) and the GVMC multi-storied parking facility near Jagadamba Junction.
The Chief Minister, who will be in the city on Friday, will inaugurate close to 10 projects, of which six have been undertaken by the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Development Authority (VMRDA) and four by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC). The estimated cost of the projects is around ₹300 crore.
The projects were earlier to be inaugurated in October, but the Chief Minister had postponed his programme due to other pressing engagements. Though the NAD Flyover has been opened for traffic, it will be formally inaugurated by the Chief Minister on Friday. This will be the first project to be inaugurated, said a senior official from VMRDA. The double-rotary flyover was initiated on November 17, 2017, at a cost of ₹113 crore. The project was completed in the middle of this year, after being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The other prestigious project to be inaugurated is the VMRDA Park. Though the park comes under VMRDA, the GVMC has undertaken the development and renovation work under its Smart City initiative.
Spread over 33 acres, the park has been renovated and given a new look at a cost of ₹30 crore.
The park has been developed in three zones with recreational facilities for people of all age groups, including walkers, children, elderly persons, and sports enthusiasts.
The attractions in the park include a BMX cycling track, an exclusive multi-purpose lawn with a yoga arena, a sports arena where people can play badminton, tennis, or basketball, and a skating rink, said a senior engineer from GVMC.
Another important project that was awaiting formal inauguration is the GVMC’s multi-level car parking structure at Jagadamba Junction.
On January 9, 2019, the ‘bhoomi puja’ for the project was performed. The G+5 MLCP project was taken up by a Pune-based private company at a budget of ₹9.7 crore.
Despite delays due to COVID-19, the project was completed a year ago. The project has been awaiting inauguration after the successful completion of trial runs. The MLCP can accommodate close to 100 cars and the facility runs mechanically.
The Chief Minister will physically inaugurate at least two projects, which includes the flyover and the VMRDA park, and the rest will be done virtually, according to Collector A. Mallikarjuna.
