The non-completion of work on roads and flyovers and the government’s inaction in inaugurating new ones to ease traffic congestion remain major concerns of the people of Vijayawada.
Two such issues pertain to the Vijayawada Central constituency, where the Gunadala flyover remains a pipe dream even after 15 years of being initiated, and the demand for another flyover in Ajith Singh Nagar has gone unheard of for years now.
Ajith Singh Nagar has more than 3 lakh population. “Every household has a daily wage earner who has to go to the main city every day to work. The only connection between their world and the city is the Ajith Singh Nagar flyover, which, constructed in the 1990s, is not enough for today’s traffic,” says M. Anjaneyulu of the Taxpayers’ Association.
Moreover, there are a few colleges on the outskirts of Vijayawada, and the dumping site is also located in Ajith Singh Nagar. “In the mornings, the flyover gets congested with college buses, Nuzvid and Sathupally (Khammam district)-bound APSRTC buses, autorickshaws, and traffic gets halted for nearly 30 minutes,” Mr. Anjaneyulu adds.
Recognising the need for a new flyover or extension of the present one, the association has, in the past, written letters to railway, district, and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation officials. The railway officials informed them that the proposals had to come from the district administration and VMC.
A similar issue can be seen at Gunadala, where the delay in the completion of the 1.2 km flyover connecting Gunadala to Eluru Road has made commuting for the people living in Prakash Nagar, Lenin Nagar and other areas a nightmare. There are two railway tracks, where traffic gets halted for more than 30 minutes. For the students, reaching school on time is always a challenge.
The then Congress government laid the foundation for the construction of the 1.2 km Gunadala flyover on February 19, 2009. It has been more than 14 years since then, and all that remains today are four pillars that were constructed around 2010.
One of the many reasons for the delay is that a few political leaders have their properties here, which would have to be demolished to make way for the flyover. “Funds are also yet to be released for the project,” says Ch. Babu Rao, the candidate from the Congress-Left parties for the constituency in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
As of now, land aquisition has been completed and more than 150 houses have been demolished.
The flyover was supposed to replace the three bridges that pass over Eluru and Ryves canals and Budameru rivulet. In the absence of the flyover, people continue to use the three narrow bridges, which are on the brink of collpase.
“In the olden days, these bridges were used by cattle herders. They were never meant for vehicles, but as days passed, they came to be used by motorcyclists and even four-wheelers. The engineering officials gave a report 15 years ago that the bridges are in a dilapidated condition, but what choice do people have? There is a lot of empty space in this segment where housing colonies can come up if accessibility is improved,” Mr. Babu Rao said.
The public was also promised the completion of the flyover during the 2014 and 2019 elections, but it remains unfulfilled to this day. Hence, the people say, it will come as little surprise if the construction of the Gunadala flyover remains a major poll issue in the 2029 polls.
