VIJAYAWADA: The long wait of residents of Kummaripalem, Vidyadharapuram and Bhavanipuram to see the flyover connecting Bhavanipuram and Krishna Lanka easing the congestion in the stretch finally came to an end with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy along with Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurating it via video conference on Friday.
The Kanaka Durga flyover, a six-lane highway with a length of 2.6 kilometers and is the third of its kind in the country built by using pre-stress/span and wing technology. The flyover has a unique and complex design with a six-lane corridor supported by a single pillar.
In 2014, the Central government has sanctioned the flyover after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government came to power and it was expected to be completed by 2016.
However, the flyover construction was plagued by delays and also missed deadlines thrice due to various reasons including the fund crunch and shortage of material and machinery.
The flyover was constructed by Soma Construction Company under the supervision of R&B department at an estimated cost of Rs 467 crore.
Expressing their joy over the inauguration of flyover, residents of Kummaripalem and Bhavanipuram thanked the State government for completing the project.
They expressed happiness as the time taken to reach Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) from Bhavanipuram clocked less than five minutes.
“There were times when it used to take more than half-an-hour to reach the bus station. But the flyover eased traffic congestion and travel time drastically,” said T Sudhakar Reddy, a resident of Bhavanipuram.
Soon after the flyover was thrown open for public, scores of people came on to it to experience the ride. While some were seen clicking selfies and taking photos, others were seen enjoying the beautiful view of River Krishna which is discharging floodwater.
“It’s our dream to experience the hassle-free journey from Kummaripalem to Pandit Nehru Bus Station. It became true after a long wait today. We have been waiting for this moment for the past five years ever since the work on flyover commenced,” said Shaik Rasheed, another resident of Kummaripalem.