Jan. deadline a challenge for IRR

The Inner Ring Road flyover that has been pending for the last several months, at Ramavarapadu in Vijayawada.- PHOTO: V. RAJU

ith the VMC issuing the Kanaka Durga flyover notification, the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) has intensified efforts to complete the Inner Ring Road (IRR) project by January to facilitate the diversion of traffic from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam.

“Now that the Kanaka Durga flyover project is gaining pace, we have decided to complete the IRR project by January and allow traffic from Republic Day,” a senior CRDA official said.

But, given the ground realities, completing the project in time seems to be a challenge. All legal wrangles over land acquisition have been cleared, except for a property behind Hotel Inn at Ramavarappadu.

Once that is done, approach roads will be laid from the Ramavarappadu end, and it will facilitate passage of heavy cranes and trucks to continue the flyover works at Gunadala, the official said.

The IRR project has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons since its inception way back in 2009 by the erstwhile Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTM UDA). After taking their own sweet time in completing land acquisition and other clearances, officials commenced works in 2010.

But, in December 2013, four girders of the under-construction flyover at Gunadala collapsed, bringing works to a halt. After much dilly-dallying by officials, the contractor resumed works recently after a committee, constituted to probe the incident, submitted its report.

The 750-metre-long flyover with four lanes is being constructed as part of the IRR project at an estimated cost of Rs. 23 crore.

Highways

Now, the CRDA has taken up the project to connect the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway with the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway (NH-5).

With officials’ alleged negligence, Nunna Road, which was laid, hardly serves any purpose. Officials claim that the committee report had not been made public, according to CPI(M) CRDA convenor Ch. Babu Rao.

Officials said that vehicles going to Visakhapatnam and Kolkata from Hyderabad could be diverted at Gollapudi ‘Y’ Junction to proceed through Kandrika, Payakapuram, Nunna, Gunadala and Ramavarappadu once the Inner Ring Road is ready.

Now that the Kanaka Durga flyover project is gaining pace, we have decided to complete the IRR project by January and allow traffic from Republic Day.

A senior CRDA official