Government to resume road-over-bridge works at Gunadala in Vijayawada

The 1.6 km-long bridge between Carmel Nagar and Gunadala main road is aimed to ease traffic congestion, and connect the city with Nunna and its other suburbs.
Incomplete road-over-bridge at Carmel Nagar near Gunadala in Vijayawada | EXPRESS
Incomplete road-over-bridge at Carmel Nagar near Gunadala in Vijayawada | EXPRESS

VIJAYAWADA: In what could be a major relief for the residents and those who often commute through Gunadala in the city, works for the long pending road-over-bridge (ROB) near Carmel Nagar are likely to restart soon as Roads and Buildings officials are drafting plans for the incomplete project with revised budget. Though the project commenced on February 2009 during the then Congress government at an estimated cost of Rs 38 crore, except construction of three pillars near Budameru canal, no other works were taken up.

The 1.6 km-long bridge between Carmel Nagar and Gunadala main road is aimed to ease traffic congestion, and connect the city with Nunna and its other suburbs. As per the design, the proposed structure would cross two canals, an irrigation drain and a railway track. The first phase was completed during the Congress regime, with the entire project set for completion by 2013. After the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) came to power, the R&B department in August 2015 changed the alignment of RoB as the Metro Rail Project was proposed on Eluru Road where the bridge landing was also proposed.

Due to the inordinate delay, it has become a herculean task for the public from Nunna, Agiripalli and Nuzvid to enter into the city. Recently, the contracting firm wrote a letter to the State government stating that it cannot restart the project with the earlier estimate of Rs 38 crore as the pending works would now cost an additional Rs 50 crore. However, there has been no response from the government and a decision is yet to be taken, sources in the  department said.  

“Around 107 houses have to be removed in the proposed alignment for the completion of the bridge and the government will take a decision on rehabilitation and resettlement package for the displaced after much deliberation,” said R&B principal secretary T Krishna Babu during an inspection of the stalled works on Saturday. Delay in the completion of works on time has escalated its cost by Rs 50 crore, he said, adding that the issue would be taken to the notice of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

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