New ramps on PVNR Expressway

HMDA to construct up and down ramp from Pillar No. 156 to 166 involving an expenditure of Rs 36 crore

Hyderabad: To ease traffic congestion at Mehdipatnam and to facilitate additional entry and exit points on PVNR Expressway, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is constructing one more set of up and down ramp from Pillar No.156 to 166 on the structure.

Interestingly, the proposal for one more up and down ramp comes exactly a decade after the structure became operational on October 19, 2009.

Of late, there has been demand from commuters shuttling on the PVNR Expressway and those travelling beneath the structure as well, to facilitate one more entry and exit point on the structure.

Currently, there are three sets of ramps, both up and down, on the structure. Considering the demand and to provide access to local traffic, the HMDA has decided to take up construction of additional set of up and down ramp. Tenders have already been floated and the project is being taken up with a cost of Rs.36 crore.

The proposed set of ramps will take off from Pillar No.156 and drop at Pillar No.166 near Royal Oak building on either sides of the structure. The State government has already sanctioned the amount and the target is to complete the construction works within six months from the date of agreement, said a senior official from HMDA. To expedite the construction of ramps, steel girders will be used in place of the conventional RCC girders.

Vehicilists from Mehdipatnam heading towards Aramgarh junction presently do not have access to the expressway. There is heavy traffic on Rethibowli-Mehdipatnam section which most of the times end up in vehicles crawling an an average speed of less than 10kmph during peak hours, he said.

More importantly, there is no scope for widening the existing carriageway due to the presence of the bridge across River Musi. There are heavy water pipelines adjacent to the bridge and technically is not feasible to widen the carriageway. Hence, one more set of up and down ramp is being constructed, he explained.

Further, a down ramp near Laxminagar Colony could not be constructed due to land acquisition issues. Apart from relocating a religious structure, about 2.5 acres of defence land is required for constructing a down ramp at Laxminagar Colony. Despite several attempts, there has been no progress in land acquisition at this point, he added.