The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Smooth ride eludes commuters to the airport

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Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Smooth ride eludes commuters to the airport

Alternative routes suggested are no better than the existing one between Mehdipatnam and Shamshabad

Torrential rain damages the exterior layer of several road stretches
Construction of expressway and rain leave Mehdipatnam-Aramgarh stretch in tatters

— PHOTOs: K. RAMESH BABU

dismal conditions: The road at Pahaad-e-Shareef, which the authorities have requested commuters to take as an alternative route to the Shamshabad airport, is in a deplorable state. (Right) The Rethibowli stretch has little space left owing to construction of the PVNR Expressway.

HYDERABAD: The condition of the alternative routes suggested by the authorities to avoid gridlocks at Rethibowli Junction, due to construction of PVNR Expressway, for ‘timely’ arrival at Shamshabad international airport are as much potholed as that of the existing route between Mehdipatnam and Shamshabad.

An unhindered stretch of smooth passage is a ‘flight of fancy’, as the torrential rain has shorn the exterior layer of several road stretches, especially at the entry points from various routes to Aramgarh junction. Be it the Tarnaka or the Bahadurpura stretch, a bumpy and circuitous ride to the airport is in store for the commuter.

Other options

Authorities have suggested Tarnaka, Uppal, L.B. Nagar and DRDO road stretch as an option to reach Shamshabad. “It takes an hour to reach Uppal from Panjagutta. From DRDO if we take Srisailam route, then it takes another hour and even more of travel. Uppal to L.B. Nagar is the only smooth stretch, the rest of the road is riddled with potholes,” says Sai Krishna, a regular traveller.

About 3 km of road stretch along the Srisailam highway, which also passes though areas like Barkas and Pahaad-e-Shareef is unfit for driving. Huge puddles of rainwater and potholes occupy major part of the road at Shaheen Nagar on the way to Shamshabad, leading to traffic jams.

“The situation is like this since one year. Rain has only compounded it. Despite bad conditions, commuters have little option but to use this road to reach or get out of Shamshabad quickly, especially at nights,” says Md. Iqbal, a Barkas local.

The authorities have also suggested using Chandrayangutta, Bandlaguda and Katedan stretch to reach Aramgarh and then to Shamshabad.

However, over a kilometre of road leading to Aramgarh from Katedan is riddled with potholes and has become ‘skiddy’ because the road has been stripped off its outer bitumen layer.

Peak-hour woes

“We get stuck for a minimum of 40 minutes in this stretch during peak hours. The Mehdipatnam, Attapur and Rajendranagar stretch is even more horrible because the entire road is badly hit by rain,” says Ghouse Moinuddin, a resident of Gaganpahaad.

Construction of expressway and rain have left the Mehdipatnam-Aramgarh stretch in tatters.

“They should at least repair alternative routes and not wait till the end of monsoons,” feels Tariq Anwar, resident of Bahadurpura.

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