VISAKHAPATNAM : By 2020 the city will be covered by eight super-fast corridors under the master plan. The high-speed dedicated corridors are proposed under the BRTS (Bus Rapid Transport System) at a cost of Rs.875 crores.

According to the chief engineer of the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation (GVMC) P. Panduranga Rao, the first of the eight is already under construction from Hanumanthawaka to Pineapple Colony at a cost of Rs.42 crores and it is to be extended up to Vepagunta in the second phase.

Further extensions

He informed that the four-lane corridor that is under construction could be extended to eight lanes in the future, depending on the demand, as the central and side medians are of 9 metres width.

"Right now the plan is for four lanes with a service road and pavement on either side but it can be extended to eight lanes without encroaching the service roads and the sidewalk," he said.

Regarding rehabilitation of the people whose lands were acquired, he informed that the city planner of GVMC is looking for a suitable site near Arilova for their settlement. "The only bottleneck is the piggery unit. We have identified a land near the Meghadrigedda downstream and a building is being constructed to shift the unit. As far as the temples on the road are concerned, they will be shifted to suitable sites nearby," he said.

Proposals

The other proposed corridors are: Pendurthy to Dwarakanagar- via NAD Kotha Road, Pendurthy to Dwarakanagar- via Kancharapalem, Dwarakanagar to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant - via Scindia Junction, Dwarakanagar to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant- via NAD Kotha Road, Old Post Office to Anandapuram- via Arilova, Dwarakanagar to Jodugudalapalem- via Beach Road, Kommadi to Pothinamalayya Palem and last being from Gopalapatnam to Duvada- via Narava.

Holistic approach

The corridors are proposed keeping in mind the growing traffic and to improve the public transport system. He is of the opinion that once the corridors become operational, the dependency on public transport system would increase by 50 per cent. "The corridors will be fast and safe and that would reduce the load on the private transport system," he opined. He hoped the buses would be all deluxe coaches and corridors facilitated with good bus bays and modern bus stations. "Equal importance will be given to the aesthetics like lighting and greenery for an international appeal," Mr. Panduranga Rao opined.

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