Khajaguda traffic snarls worsen as flyover and underpass works squeeze road space for 3 lakh vehicles daily; diversions soon
The next phase of the Khajaguda corridor improvement project in Cyberabad gathered pace after the Raidurgam Law and Order Police Station on the Old Mumbai
The next phase of the Khajaguda corridor improvement project in Cyberabad gathered pace after the Raidurgam Law and Order Police Station on the Old Mumbai Highway was directed to be vacated ahead of demolition for construction of the proposed underpass. The adjoining Raidurgam Traffic Police Station will also be partially affected by road widening. The development comes as traffic congestion at Khajaguda junction, one of the busiest junctions in Hyderabad’s IT corridor, continues to worsen, with flyover construction, road widening and preparatory works for the underpass together narrowing the available carriageway along the one-kilometre stretch. Daily load of over 3 lakh vehicles at Khajaguda junction The junction, connecting Mehdipatnam, Shaikpet, Nanakramguda and Gachibowli, carries more than three lakh vehicles daily, including nearly one lakh during the evening peak hours between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Continuous rainfall has further deteriorated road conditions, slowing traffic movement through the stretch.
Three lanes along the road median have been barricaded for the flyover works. On the Shaikpet-Gachibowli carriageway, road widening is under way, while a temporary 15-20 ft lane has been created by allowing vehicles to use part of the opposite carriageway to ease outbound traffic towards the Gachibowli flyover. Khajaguda junction to be temporarily closed Of the proposed 23 piers, nine foundations and eight piers have been completed, with construction currently progressing near the junction at Pier No. 18. Once work reaches Pier No. 14, which overlaps with the junction, authorities plan to temporarily close the Khajaguda junction and implement major traffic diversions. Vehicles from Malkam Cheruvu are expected to be diverted through Chitrapuri Colony and Lanco Hills, while traffic descending from the Shaikpet flyover is likely to be rerouted via Timber Lake Colony towards Khajaguda village road or through the ESCI Road.
Congestion inevitable Raidurgam Traffic Police Inspector Pavan Mayasa said the congestion was inevitable as the available road width had shrunk considerably. “Foundation works are now around 100 to 150 metres from the junction. We are operating with less than three effective lanes — two on the main carriageway and one temporary lane on the opposite side. With such heavy traffic volumes, delays are inevitable,” he said. Once completed, the corridor will provide a 150-ft-wide road, including the flyover and service roads, between Nanakramguda and Shaikpet, while the Shaikpet-Gachibowli stretch will expand to 215 ft with the addition of the underpass and service roads. Commuters cross junction after 2-3 signal cycles For commuters, however, relief remains some distance away. “Just after you breeze past the Shaikpet flyover, you get stuck at the narrow Khajaguda junction.
The BriefWire