Just when traffic woes appeared to be easing a bit with the launch of a subway and flyover in Madhapur, things are back to square one with Hyderabad Metro Rail works being taken up in the IT corridor.
After traffic diversions were imposed from Friday to facilitate Metro works, road users in the locality are venting their ire, especially on social media, as there is a cascading impact on the traffic situation in neighbouring areas as well.
Traffic is now permitted on one side of the road from Cyber Towers junction to Cyber Gateway. The Hitec City flyover is partially closed for traffic heading towards JNTU and traffic is permitted only one way towards Cyber Gateway.
Accordingly, motorists coming from Mindspace and heading to JNTU end are now made to take left at Hotel Lemon Tree via Deloitte, Tech Mahindra, Hitex and Shilparamam. Similarly, those coming from Madhapur to Mindspace and Biodiversity junction are taking left at Shilpakala Vedika via Hotel Trident before taking another left at Cyber Gateway and proceeding further.
These detours are not only making the corporate and IT employees burn additional fuel but also affecting their work as many are ending up working extra hours.
Following the complaints of traffic inconvenience from motorists, a senior official from Cyberabad Traffic said some relaxation would be permitted during peak hours to ease traffic congestion on an experiment basis.
Following instructions from caretaker IT Minister KT Rama Rao, DGP M Mahender Reddy, GHMC Commissioner M Dana Kishore, HMRL managing director and other officials inspected the Metro works. They identified the immediate road improvement works to be taken up and different alternatives to execute the Metro Rail works with least inconvenience to road users.
Accordingly, it was decided to shift the identified electrical, signal and water pipes etc., immediately. Mobile barricades will be supplied to Cyberabad Traffic Police for channelising the traffic. Road widening works will be carried out at all the identified junctions in the next few days and road improvement works will also be carried out in the identified stretches.
Forty additional traffic marshals will be arranged by the L&T Metro to work under Cyberabad Traffic Police for regulating traffic movement. After carrying out the identified works during the next few days, trial runs will be conducted by Cyberabad Traffic Police for a few hours during peak and non-peak hours to check the traffic movement. After examining the results, a further decision will be taken on how to carry out for Metro Rail works in the area. #KhabarLive