Rs 171 crore plan to revamp 19 roads in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: Commuting on PVP Mall Road, GS Raju Road, HT Line Road, and Gurunanak Colony Road, along with 15 other roads in the city, is set to become a hassle-free experience, as these stretches will be upgraded with improved drainage systems, well-designed footpaths, strengthened carriageways, and properly developed road medians. The works will be taken up under the City Roads Improvement Programme through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. In total, 19 key roads across the city will be developed as part of this initiative, aimed at enhancing traffic flow, pedestrian safety, and overall urban infrastructure."The development of 19 roads will be taken up at a total cost of Rs 171 crore, which includes the development of drains, footpaths, road medians, and greenery, along with the operation and maintenance of the roads for a period of 10 years. Rs 55 crore will be sanctioned for the development works, which will be taken up during the initial phase, with a target period of 12 months for completion. Following this, the remaining funds will be paid to the private developer by the civic body in a phased manner," VMC Executive Engineer Sureekha said.The official said the road works will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Model, wherein the civic body will pay developers on an annuity basis. The official added that the private developer will be responsible for executing all kinds of repair works across 19 roads during the 10-year operations and maintenance period."The tenders for the 19 roads have been floated, with the last date for the submission of tender bids being March 13. During the pre-bid meeting, the bidders asked the municipal corporation to extend the deadline for submitting the tenders, with no major queries on technical aspects," the Executive Engineer said. The official added that after awarding the contract bid, the developer will be given a 6-month period to complete the survey and submit drawings, with a 1-year period to complete the road development works.