Traffic on the Sankar Vilas ROB in Guntur on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: T. Vijaya Kumar
Two new Road Over Bridges (ROB) that will be constructed in Guntur are expected to address the growing traffic congestion in the city.
One the projects is the replacement of the Sankar Vilas ROB, which connects the east and west parts of the city. The existing two-lane ROB bears over 60% of the city traffic.
The other is a new ROB on the Inner Ring Road (IRR), which will connect the city with the National Highway and is expected to ease burden on the city’s internal roads.
According to Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, these two ROBs are essential for the city and would address traffic problems for the next thirty years. Mr. Chandra Sekhar, who represents the Guntur Parliamentary Constituency, said he was able to secure the two railway projects for Guntur city with consistent efforts.
He said that the Ministry of Railways, in a communication on January 8, directed the South Central Railway general manager to complete all prerequisites before inviting tenders for the ROB (the Inner Ring Road one), having an estimated cost of ₹107.79 crore.
The pre-requisites include government consent for closure of level crossing, approval of the General Administration Department, design and land acquisition, if any.
As for the Sankar Vilas ROB, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways approved the project, having an estimated cost of ₹98 crore, in 2024. The government would demolish the old bridge and build a new one in its place.
Speaking to The Hindu, Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) Commissioner Puli Srinivasulu said they are trying to complete land acquisition for the Sankar Vilas ROB by February-end and begin construction as soon as possible. He added that they would resolve land-related issues regarding the IRR ROB.
Reacting to the pending works on the Nandivelugu Road ROB, the Commissioner explained that the Railways has already completed constructing a portion of the bridge. The remaining part, however, is supposed to be built by the Roads and Buildings Department, which, however, had been cash-strapped for the past four years. Now, Mr. Chandra Sekhar was trying to get funds from the Centre for the remaining works, he said.
Published – January 11, 2025 07:58 pm IST