Incessant traffic problems

Venturing from Tolichowki either towards Mehdipatnam or Gachibowli is utter chaos for commuters in the area what with the traffic coming from the Hakeempet Road, Seven Tombs Road and MD lines forced to take an alternative path.

The closure of main highway connecting Tolichowki centre towards Mehdipatnam due to works related to flyover has choked most of the parallel bylanes for the past two years causing regular traffic jams. Regular deviations push most of the commuters off-road. Some of them are forced to adopt haphazard routes towards different destinations.

The road below the flyover has been completely dug up and its reconstruction is yet to happen, only one portion on Seven Tombs side has been completed.

After closure of the main highway towards Mehdipatnam, the traffic has been diverted towards Nanal Nagar via MD lines, Andhra Flour Mill, Balika Bhavan. However, most of the commuters preferred the route which ran parallel to the flyover towards Mehdipatnam, from Nizam colony, Gate No.3.

“It’s a hell like situation during evening hours, when all vehicles take this lane. With raising dust and huge traffic snarls our business has been affected,” said K Mahesh, a businessman in the area.

Even though one portion of the ‘Split Flyover’ on the Seven Tombs side has been opened unofficially about a few months ago for traffic on both sides, another portion remains to be constructed.

With Court stay on land acquisition of 32 properties, the GHMC failed to widen the road below the flyover on the Banjara Hills side. “We have obtained stay for 32 properties from the court. The road widening has been stalled, as we do not want to lose properties,” says Masood, owner of Arbaab hotel who had been opposing the construction.

Even though land acquisition is the major issue for progress of the work, officials expressed optimism that it would be completed shortly. “We are trying to resolve the issue and the construction would be completed within two months,” says Md Imtiaz Ahmed, Chief Engineer (GHMC).

The then Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy laid the foundation for the flyover in June, 2013. It was estimated to be constructed with Rs 38.90 crore and a total project cost of Rs 45.90 crores (Rs 7 crore for land acquisition). The 650 m flyover with six lanes, with construction methodology of Precast Pre-stressed Girders, was projected to be completed by the end of 2015.

By:Md Nizamuddin