Hyderabad’s IT hub, which is expanding rapidly, is going to benefit greatly from this and a big plan to tackle traffic jams is being formulated by the government which is inclusive of an extensive road widening and a new elevated corridor. The first phase of the road construction project includes the widening of the current 60-foot Manikonda Pipeline Road—from Shaikpet Nala to CBIT—the road to 200 feet.
The officials have also deliberated on the idea of making an elevated corridor that will provide a direct link from the Old Bombay Highway to the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Thereby if the project comes through, it would open up ways with no signals for crossing through one of the city’s most traffic-prone areas and at the same time reduce the travel times surprisingly.
Faster Travel, Less Congestion
Manikonda–Gachibowli–Kokapet is the area which has been rapidly developed in the last five years. IT parks, shopping centers, educational institutions, and large housing projects are some of the developments that have come up in this area. Daily thousands of IT professionals use this route, which causes traffic jams and delays, mainly at peak hours.
The plan to expand the road from 60 feet to 200 feet surely will eliminate traffic congestion to a large extent. The trip made through Gachibowli and Manikonda which is taking a long time now owing to the narrow roads and intersections will not only be of less duration but also smoother.
Elevated Corridor to ORR
As per the reports, the elevated corridor will facilitate the vehicles in making a direct trip from the Old Bombay Highway to the ORR and vice versa without having to wait at the junctions in between. This signal-free connectivity is expected to save fuel, reduce travel stress, and lower air pollution caused by prolonged idling in traffic.
Challenges Ahead
Easing the passage through such a heavily used road will not be a simple task. A good number of commercial and residential properties on both sides of the pipeline road might need to be taken down and the authorities would require to pay a huge amount of money as a settlement. Besides, Engineers also have to deal with the difficult problem of relocating the large water pipelines under the road without causing any disruptions.
Long-Term Benefits
Officials are convinced that the project will be a turning point for western Hyderabad despite the difficulties. The better infrastructure is said to be the factor that will more than double connectivity, improve the living conditions of the people even in the most distant suburbs, and, in areas such as Manikonda, Puppalaguda, and Narsingi, increase the property values even more.
In case the project gets the green light, the international standard of urban mobility set in Hyderabad’s IT park, faster, cleaner, and hassle-free travel all over the city, will be possible.
