Subway to connect Ranigarithota and Balaji Nagar to MG Road in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: In a relief to residents of Ranigarithota and Balaji Nagar in Vijayawada East constituency, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to take up construction of a subway connecting these areas to MG Road via the Netaji bridge, thereby ending the daily ordeal faced by residents while crossing NH-16, which lies between the Kanaka Durgamma Varadhi and Benz Circle stretch."NHAI has already floated tenders for construction of the subway at the Netaji flyover on NH-16. The project is estimated to cost approximately Rs 3 crore and will be executed using NHAI funds, with a target to complete the subway construction in six months from the date of work award to the contracting agency," NHAI Vijayawada project implementation unit director Vidya Sagar told STOI. The last date for submission of tenders is Feb 24.According to information, the new subway will be 50 metres long, 2.5 metres in height, and 5 metres in width, which will provide access to motorists from the Ranigarithota and Balaji Nagar of the city side to enter MG Road, bypassing NH-16.The NH stretch at Netaji flyover has become a death trap. Multiple pedestrian fatalities have been reported on the stretch over the last several years, most of whom were killed after being hit by speeding vehicles while trying to cross the on the national highway. It is estimated that around 10,000 people from Ranigarithota and Balaji Nagar areas cross that particular NH-16 stretch daily to attend work and access other parts of the city."We are happy that NHAI is finally taking up the construction of the subway, which has been a long-pending demand of residents of Ranigarithota and Balaji Nagar. As the works are likely to be executed soon, we urge the govt to complete the subway construction at the earliest, which will not only prevent pedestrian deaths but will also enable seamless travel for vehicles on the stretch," Rama Krishna, a resident of Ranigarithota, said.