VIJAYAWADA: With the opportunity of replanning the Vijayawada metro presenting itself to the Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation (AMRC), officials are considering integrating the metro corridor — proposed to be developed till Gannavaram — with the airport.
The proposal will further increase the project expenditure, costing twice as much along stretches that will be built underground. As per the current estimate, the proposed elevated light metro will cost `200 crore per km.
The spike in costs is not likely to go down well with the Finance Ministry which had previously shot down the proposal for a medium metro citing poor viability. “We will seek the Centre’s assistance after the DPR is ready. If it is not approved, we will develop the project under PPP,” AMRC managing director Ramakrishna Reddy said.
According to information, restrictions on elevated structures near the airport got officials thinking about the possibility of developing the last few kilometres of the metro line underground.
“The feasibility of having 1 km of the [Pandit Nehru Bus Station - Gannavaram] corridor underground is being mulled as developing a 20-metre elevated structure near the airport is not ideal,” Reddy said.
When asked if the proposal would be along the lines of the Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAME) which is integrated with Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the AMRC MD replied in the affirmative. “It will have all modern facilities on a par with international metros,” he added. The 22-km-long DAME is a combination of underground and elevated metro lines.
Officials from the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department further said talks were going on with airport authorities to see if a metro station on the airport premises was, in fact, feasible.
Talks on
Municipal administration and Urban Development Department officials said talks were on with airport authorities. If not within the airport, a spot will be selected from where feeder bus services will be offered.