Traffic-choked Vizag city to get bypass highway by 2020

Visakhapatnam: Civil works on the much-awaited six-laning of the 51-km Anandapuram-Anakapalle road via Pendurthi are all set to begin by June, in a major thrust to the construction of a bypass highway that would skirt Vizag city altogether.
The ambitious project is expected to be finished by 2020, according to officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The need for a bypass road was being felt for a long time as the Kolkata-Chennai NH-16 that runs through Vizag gets heavily congested in the city limits, particularly during rush hour when traffic comes to a crawl.

While the cost of the civil works will be around Rs 2,000 crores, the compensation amount for land that will be acquired by NHAI is estimated to be about Rs 300 crore.

Madhya Pradesh-based Dilip Buildcon Ltd (DBL) will execute the mammoth project under the Bharatmala Pariyojana Scheme.

Confirming this to TOI, NHAI project director A Srinivasa Rao said DBL was finally awarded the six-laning of the 51-km long highway stretch. DBL will have to finish construction within 30 months from the date of starting the project.

Rao said another three months are required for completion of all formalities before beginning of the civil works, and added that they are tentatively hoping to start work by June, before the beginning the southwest monsoon.

NHAI sources said nearly 430 hectares are required for the widening of the road, and said nearly 90% of the land acquisition work has been completed so far.

Rao said nearly 120 hectares of the total 430 hectares is government land, so there is no need of compensation for the 120 hectares. Compensation is required only for the remaining land which comes to around 300 hectares.

NHAI sources said DBL is presently taking up expansion work on the Machilipatnam-Vijayawada highway. “DBL takes up works very promptly and completes projects within deadline,” said an NHAI officer.
Speaking to TOI, assistant commissioner of police (for traffic) K Prabhakar said the six-laning of NH-16 from Anandapuram to Anakapalle via Pendurthi will be a boon for commuters.
“This project will clear most of the traffic problems on the highway stretch in the city limits,” Rao said.
“While the vehicles coming from Srikakulam can be diverted at Anandapuram Junction to reach Anakapalle, the vehicles coming from Rajahmundry can be diverted at Anakapalle to Anandapuram without touching Vizag core city,” Rao said.

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