Flyover works lead to traffic snarls at NAD Junction

Visakhapatnam: Due to hike in toll tariff at the Port Road, people entering the city from that road are avoiding that route and opting to pass through NAD Junction, this causing traffic snarls at the prime junction.

It may be recalled that the government handed over the construction of NAD flyover to the Vijay Nirman Company Private Limited at an estimated cost of Rs150 crore.

Hence, traffic police imposed regulations for two years and also advised the four wheelers and two wheelers coming and going out of the city and airport to utilise the Port Road to reach their destinations. 

However, all the vehicles are reportedly passing through NAD Junction as the toll fee was hiked at the Port Road. They increased the fee from Rs 26 to Rs 54 for car and Rs 94 to Rs 189 for bus.

R Srinivas, a bakery owner at NAD Junction, said that cabs and other transport vehicles, which enter  the city, are opting NAD Junction to avoid toll fee, as a result traffic jams are taking place and disturbing the works of flyover.

ADCP (Traffic) M Ramesh Kumar said that public transportation like city buses cannot alter their routes as their need to halt at their designated bus stops, but traffic police had already imposed restrictions for heavy and goods vehicles coming from Kolkatta, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and proceeding towards Anakapalle, Vijayawada and Chennai should divert through Anandapuram via Pendurthi and Sabbavaram instead of entering the city. 

Similarly, the vehicles coming from Gangavaram Port, Visakha Port Trust (VPT), Pharma City Yelamanchili, Parawada and Anakapalle proceeding towards Srikakulam and Vizianagaram will be diverted at Lankelapalem and proceed via Sabbavaram and Pendurthy towards Anandapuram on the National Highway-16 instead of coming through NAD Junction. 

Employees and the transport owners and associations should inform their vehicle drivers to follow traffic rules during the construction of the flyover at NAD Junction, ADCP Ramesh Kumar added.