Seven roads to be completed to ease traffic ahead of B’puram airport opening
Improvement of road connectivity to Bhogapuram from Visakhapatnam as well as Vizianagaram and Srikakulam district assumes a lot of importance
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Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) has decided to complete seven road alignment works at a cost of Rs175 crore ahead of scheduled commencement of Bhogapuram International Airport being developed by GMR Aero-led GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of GMR Airports Limited (GAL).
After a review with VMRDA Commissioner N Tej Bharath and other senior officials, Bheemunipatnam MLA and former Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao toldBizz Buzzthat the seven roads stretching over 26.7 km will ease highway traffic congestion and improve connectivity from various parts of the city to Bhogapuram, a distance of 45 km, to make it hassle-free travel to the upcoming greenfield airport.
The seven priority road stretches on which work is now under progress include connectivity from Anandapuram, Gajuwaka junction, NAD Roundabout, Hanumanthawaka, Maddilapalem junctions and city core stretches of Old NH-5.
As the launching of work on Metro Rail project to connect from the city to Bhogapuram is facing teething problems despite in-principle agreement by the Centre to support it, now the improvement of road connectivity to Bhogapuram from Visakhapatnam as well as Vizianagaram and Srikakulam district assumes a lot of importance.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, who is monitoring the progress of the airport development continuously, recently said the road connectivity works from different directions has been taken up on a war-footing. The airport is at a distance of 23 km from Vizianagaram and 64 km from Srikakulam.
It is also expected to be a big boon for the people of South Odisha's Koraput, Rayagada and Nabarangpur districts and Bastar and nearby areas in Chattisgarh due to fast-track completion of Raipur-Visakhapatnam expressway as part of East Coast Economic Corridor.
