HYDERABAD: The GHMC has initiated the process of constructing a steel bridge to improve traffic movement at Chutneys near Nagarjuna Circle in Panjagutta. It has started digging pits at Punjagutta graveyard for soil testing to construct pillars for the steel bridge. Of the four properties which include Chutneys, Mayas and another private property, the owners gave their consent for the steel bridge. However some persons were against taking some portion of the graveyard for construction of the pillars over which the steel bridge would be laid, GHMC officials told Express.
The steel bridge is the need of the hour as the Traffic Police have identified a major traffic bottleneck at Chutneys, which is causing traffic jams during peak hours and requested GHMC to take up the road widening work. The Panjagutta graveyard is an accident-prone spot because of the narrowness of road.
Stating that close to 7,000 to 8,000 vehicles use the stretch during peak hours, the GHMC said that a 4-lane road was recommended to ensure smooth flow of traffic without any jams. If the steel bridge is laid, a major bottleneck can be cleared at Banjara Hills-Punjagutta corridor.
The existing carriage way width at bottleneck (graveyard) is around 5 metres (one and a half lanes), which is grossly inadequate to cope with peak hour traffic. A few years ago, GHMC and traffic police have inspected the site and considered two proposals to address the problem. While one proposal involved the widening of the road, while the second involved construction of low-level steel plate girder bridge over the graveyard, with a span of 35 metres without disturbing the graves.
After detailed discussions and negotiations, graveyard committee has agreed for the second proposal. Estimates were prepared for construction of steel plate girder bridge at a cost of `5.95 crore. GHMC proposed to construct the bridge after the horrific accident on July 1, 2016 which killed 10-year-old Ramya, her uncle and grandfather, forcing the GHMC standing Council to pass a unanimous resolution at its June 2018 meeting on the steel bridge. GHMC Standing Committee has accorded the administrative sanction to rectify the ‘black spot’ and finalised the tenders by allotting the works to the contractor, GHMC officials said.