Hyderabad: Commuters hit as NH-44 flyover deadline pushed to 2026 for third time

The completion deadline for flyovers on National Highway-44 has been extended for the third time to June 2026. Delays in works under the Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme have worsened traffic conditions, leaving commuters frustrated over slow progress and repeated extensions

Hyderabad: The completion deadline for the flyovers on National Highway-44 has been extended for the third time, pushing the target to June 2026. This continued delay has worsened the situation on National Highway given the sluggish pace of progress despite revised timelines.

The delay in completing flyovers proposed at Dairy Farm, Suchitra, Kompally, and Medchal, under the ‘Bharatmala Pariyojana’ scheme to ease traffic congestion, continues. These were 6-lane flyovers, and work began in April 2022 and was supposed to be completed by June 2024. In a fresh development, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) authorities announced a third extension for the flyovers.

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P Nageswara Rao, Project Director, NHAI Project Implementation Unit, Kamareddy, said, “Due to shortage of funds and workforce apart from heavy rains, the project went on at a snail’s pace. Now the work has started and 70 pillars for the flyovers have been completed, and remaining work regarding deck slabs will start soon.”

The Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) of nearby colonies expressed their frustration over the inordinate delay in the completion of the 6-lane flyover for the past four years. The works deadline was an extension up to June 2025 citing a shortage of workforce and heavy rains as reasons, and now to June 2026.

Hundreds of commuters coming from Medchal, Kompally, and Suchitra use access through NH 44 to reach Secunderabad Cantonment and other parts of the city, including Balanagar and Kukatpally. However, a portion of the highway remained blocked on both sides during earth excavation and the construction of pillars. The earth dug up during excavation piled up as mounds and during rains, it washed onto the road, which led to significant traffic jams.

BT Srinivasan, National Secretary General, Confederation of Resident Welfare Associations (CoRWA) pointed out that the Secunderabad–Medchal stretch is a critical arterial corridor used daily by office-goers, students, goods vehicles, and long-distance travelers.”Because of the present condition of the road surface, barricading, diversions, and unfinished structures, the normal travel time of about 1 hour increased to nearly 2 hours or even more during peak hours,” he said.