Hyderabad, October 19: The much awaited P.V. Elevated Expressway would finally be thrown open to airport-bound traffic from Monday after inauguration by Chief Minister K. Rosaiah.
The project, which faced long delays that resulted from shifting of utilities to the financial crunch faced by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), would formally be declared open with a function at the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Mehdipatnam point, by the Chief Minister at 4.30 p.m.
The nearly 11.5 km-long expressway, the longest elevated such facility in the country, has been readied by the HMDA few days ago, slightly behind the deadline of October 2 which was set by Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy whose pet project it happens to be.
Unhindered access
Offering fast and unhindered access from the city till Aramgarh Junction for traffic heading to the airport at Shamshabad, the expressway has been completed at a contract value of Rs.439 crore with modern segmental construction methods using heavy machinery. The construction process involved the methodology of pre-casting the segments and transporting them to the site for launch by girders.
Though the main structure spread out to 17.2 metres width with a four-lane divided carriageway is going to be made accessible, the work on ramps joining at different points is to take some more time. The delay in ramps getting ready has been due to a host of factors including shifting of water pipelines and also a place of worship at one place.
Marvel
Though financial constraints delayed it for some time, the HMDA officials describe it as an ‘engineering marvel’ which was executed without problems that similar projects elsewhere faced. “The episodes involving Punjagutta flyover in the city and Metro Rail project in New Delhi did unnerve us a bit, but we completed it safely,” an official said.
Overall, the entire project has four major components which apart from elevated expressway corridor have a trumpet interchange on NH-7 at airport junction, underpass at Aramgarh junction and strengthening and widening of the Inner Ring Road.
-Agencies