Elevated corridor on NH-44 between Paradise Junction and Dairy Farm Road enters fast track mode

Works on the project likely to commence mid-June; project has a completion period of 36 months at an estimated cost of Rs 652 crore, says HMDA Chief Engineer

Hyderabad: An elevated corridor on National Highway 44, proposed between Paradise Junction and Dairy Farm Road (towards Suchitra Junction) in Secunderabad Cantonment, is now in a fast-track mode.

Foundation stone for the elevated corridor proposed under the Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP) was laid in 2024. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has recently finalised tenders for the corridor.

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According to HMDA Chief Engineer B Ravinder, works on the project are likely to commence mid-June and the tender is already finalised and the work awarded as well. “The project has a completion period of 36 months at an estimated cost of Rs 652 crore,” he said.

The process of transferring the Defence land required for the corridor is at an advanced stage while land acquisition of civilian and government agencies in Secunderabad Cantonment is at a brisk pace, Ravinder said.

As part of the project, an underpass will also come up on NH-44 and as suggested by the Ministry of Defence, the HMDA has prepared a blueprint according to specified norms and guidelines for the facility.

Working permission to build the two elevated corridors, NH-44 and State Highway 01 in SCB, was granted by the MoD in March 2024. However, the Defence Ministry had made it mandatory that before commencing the earth excavation work, the HMDA has to take an NoC from the Civil Aviation in light of proximity to Begumpet airport and also provide view cutters.

An average of over two lakh vehicles of all types ply daily between Paradise Circle and up to Dairy Farm through Bowenpally X Roads. Traffic jams on this stretch are a regular exercise for commuters, mainly at Tadbun Junction and at Bowenpally X Roads. The proposed underpass will ease the traffic woes permanently, an SCB engineering wing official admitted.

Approximately 251 private structures will be affected along NH-44 as part of the elevated corridor, according to an SCB Board resolution passed on August 24, 2024.

The other features of the elevated corridor on NH-44 include a six-lane elevated corridor with entry and exit ramps, covering a length of 5.40 km and having an elevated length of 3.050 km. An underpass will be constructed at a length of 0.600 km at the Begumpet airport stretch near Anna Nagar Junction, and the corridor will come up with a total width of 60 metres, with 30 metres on each side from the centreline.

Heavy volume of traffic and congestion will be reduced, and travel time can also be saved due to this elevated corridor. Currently, the travel time from Paradise Circle up to Dairy Farm is around 45 to 60 minutes and can be reduced to up to 30 minutes, said a senior traffic cop at Bowenpally X Roads.