Hyderabadis want racetrack-like roads

A day after the Indian Racing League was held on the newly laid racetrack along NTR Marg here on Sunday, the road was thrown open to the public.

Hyderabad: A day after the Indian Racing League (IRL) was held on the newly laid racetrack along NTR Marg here on Sunday, the road was thrown open to the public.

Although the cement barriers constructed for safety blocked motorists’ view of Hussain Sagar, city dwellers, who zoomed through the road, say the experience was surreal.

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“I commute on this route every day. But when I drove through the racetrack today, it felt different and new. The road was so smooth and made driving a piece of cake,” says Sri Teja, an architecture student.

The track on the banks of Hussain Sagar was laid for the Formula E World Championship in February 2023. The race on Sunday was the first of two that are being held before the main event.

Rishita, a corporate employee who lives in Khairatabad, says it would be nice to have such roads elsewhere in Hyderabad too. “The road they built for the race is flat with no potholes. That is what we need. Although there is a need for speed breakers, imagine how easy it would be to drive in the city if we had roads like this,” she says.

Addressing safety concerns, officials say speed breakers and rumble strips would be in place soon. “As of now, we have had no casualties, but we are coordinating with the traffic police to check where speed breakers are needed. Once we have clarity on that, necessary steps will be taken on priority,” a GHMC official from the Khairatabad zone says.

The route was blocked for the last few weeks as the construction of the 2.7-km FIA-graded street circuit was under way.