GUNTUR: After a long wait of 30 years, traffic woes of the residents of Tenali are set to be resolved as the officials are planning to install signals for regulating traffic in the town. Officials said construction works would start in the next few weeks, and efforts would be made to finish them within a stipulated time.
Tenali has a 410-km-long road network. Guntur, Mangalagiri, Burripalem, and Ponnur roads are the arterial roads in the town. The road towards Guntur connects with the State Highway 48 at Narakodur.
The crucial road network connects Tenali with Mangalagiri, Narakodur, and Chandole. Bapatla and Vemuru roads also witness severe vehicular traffic. The lack of proper traffic regulation and signal system has caused severe inconvenience to the citizens.
Popularly known as Andhra Paris, Tenali is an economic hub, with several people from across the district visiting the town to conduct their daily business.
With 1.9 lakh population as per the 2011 census, the town is the 12th most populous in the State. However, the population is expected to have risen to three lakh over the past few years. Subsequently, the surge in population has resulted in congested roads and heavy traffic. Local YSRC MLA Annabathuni Sivakumar formed a traffic advisory committee, comprising municipal, police, revenue officials, and prominent persons in the town, to address issues pertaining to congestion.
The panel has conducted meetings with local traders and shopkeepers to identify traffic hotspots in the town.
Speaking to TNIE, Tenali DSP B Janardhan Rao said eight spots have been identified to set up traffic signals, including near Ashok PenWorks, Venus Theatre, Saibaba Temple, Umesh Chandra Bomma, new bridge, market bridge, at old government hospital, and at Kaleba bridge. “Besides, the officials are also planning to take up road widening works, for which encroachments in Chenchupet have already been removed,” he added.
“We are extremely relieved that the traffic signals would be set up in main centres, thereby reducing congestion issues in the town, Rama Sastry, a resident of Tenali, expressed.
Meanwhile, Continental Coffee Limited chairman Challa Rajendra Prasad has allotted `31 lakh from its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for the installation of signals.