GUNTUR: In a significant development for Guntur’s infrastructure, the Central government has allocated Rs 98 crore under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) Setu Bandhan scheme for the extension of the Sankar Vilas Road Over Bridge (ROB) on the Guntur-Nallapadu railway section. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced the social media platform X.
The funds for the Sankar Vilas ROB are part of a broader Rs 400 crore sanction for Andhra Pradesh, which includes 13 road projects covering 200.06 km under the CRIF scheme.
The new four-lane ROB will be a key component of Guntur’s efforts to manage its growing urban traffic. With the city’s population projected to increase from 6 lakh in 2011 to 9.5 lakh in the coming years, the existing two-lane flyover, built in 1956, is no longer sufficient.
It remains the primary connection between old and new Guntur, and congestion in key areas like is a major issue.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu thanked the Union Minister for his efforts, stating that the expansion would further boost AP’s growth and progress. Despite the construction of a Railway Under Bridge (RUB) at Kankaragunta, traffic congestion has persisted, highlighting the need for this long-pending extension. The proposal for widening the bridge has been on the agenda for over a decade but had not moved forward until recently.
The approval is seen as a major victory for Union Minister Dr Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, who has been instrumental in securing the funding. Guntur residents are hopeful that construction will begin soon.