Flyover planned to decongest busy Anandapuram junction near Vizag

Visakhapatnam: The busy Anandapuram junction near Visakhapatnam has become a major traffic bottleneck due to heavy vehicular flow. The convergence of multiple highways, along with the presence of a flower market at the junction, frequently leads to long delays. Located about 25 kilometres from the city, the junction serves as a key access point connecting Visakhapatnam with Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, and Anakapalli districts, resulting in consistently high traffic volumes and prolonged congestion.Motorists travelling on the Chennai-Kolkata national highway near Anandapuram face severe daily traffic snarls, particularly during peak hours from early morning to late evening. To address the congestion, officials have proposed both immediate and long-term solutions. These measures include constructing a full-fledged rotary along with road widening on all sides. This will involve partial utilisation of land from the existing flower and vegetable market, as well as expansion of service roads, which may require acquisition of some private properties.The core issue remains the absence of a flyover at Anandapuram, particularly affecting traffic moving towards Vizianagaram and Srikakulam distrcts coming from Vizag city. With traffic expected to rise further once the Bhogapuram airport becomes operational, officials have proposed constructing a 400-metre flyover with extended approach roads and additional service lanes, allowing vehicles to bypass the junction entirely.Bheemili MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao said the state government is taking concrete steps for a permanent solution to the traffic congestion at Anandapuram junction. The MLA, along with district officials, recently visited the junction and nearby flower markets. "To prevent future traffic bottlenecks, authorities are proceeding with a structured and forward-looking plan. As part of the long-term solution, the road at Anandapuram junction will be widened. In addition, administrative approval has already been granted for a proposed flyover, which is expected to be completed within two years. Plans are also underway to consolidate nearby land parcels to develop a modern flower market, vegetable market, spacious parking facilities, and cold storage infrastructure," he said.To ease traffic pressure, discussions were recently held on relocating the flower market to a 95-cent site nearby which was designated for a Rythu Bazaar. The possibility of utilising adjacent land belonging to the SC Corporation is also under consideration. As an interim measure, officials plan to undertake expansion works beneath the proposed flyover. According to officials, the flyover is expected to be approximately 400 metres in length, with approach roads extending a few kilometres, along with additional service roads. To further ease congestion, a full-fledged roundabout will be constructed. Roads on all sides will be widened, and land belonging to the local flower and vegetable market will be partially utilised for this purpose. The service road from the old Gram Panchayat office towards Tagarapuvalasa will also be expanded, which may require the acquisition of some private properties.