Country's longest elevated corridor opens to public

The 11.6-km long PV Narasimha Rao Expressway, India's longest elevated corridor, was thrown open to the public on Monday. The Rs 600-crore project, implemented by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), will connect Mehidipatnam in the heart of the city to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad on the outskirts.

The flyover project was initiated by late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy three years ago who decided to name it in the memory of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, who hailed from the state. “This is YS Rajasekhara Reddy's dream come true,” chief minister K Rosaiah said while inaugurating the flyover.

The four-lane divided carriageway will allow a two-way traffic at speeds up to 60 kmph now and up to 100 kmph when additional ramps are ready by March 2010. Among others, it has an anti-glare lighting system and soundproof walls. A 3.9-km long trumpet interchange will ensure free flow of traffic. It will meet the NH 7 but will not disturb the traffic as the latter will pass through an underpass at the Aramgarh junction.

The flyover, with 328 pillars, has segmental construction for superstructure and is equipped with modern instrumentation for maintenance and monitoring. It has used pre-cast segments.

The project was dogged by delays due to the financial crunch faced by the HMDA. It was supposed to be opened on October 2 but the officials postponed it for today in view of the heavy rains to erect safety ramps at pillars.

Municipal and Urban Development minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said Phase I of the 160-km outer ring road would be complete in June 2010 and the remaining work on 80 km will be completed in December 2012. The HMDA has already called for tenders for the second phase, he said, adding the government was preparing plans for modernising the sewerage system at a cost of Rs 4,750 crore.