Seven years on, Uppal Elevated Corridor mired in dust and delay

The Uppal Elevated Corridor in Hyderabad, launched in 2018 to ease traffic on NH-163, remains incomplete with only 43 percent of work done. Residents and businesses are grappling with daily gridlocks, dust pollution, and financial losses. The delay has turned a once-promising infrastructure project into a symbol of civic neglect and administrative failure.

Hyderabad: The 6.2-kilometer Uppal Elevated Corridor, which was supposed to alleviate the traffic choke point at Uppal, has now become a symbol of administrative failure, broken promises and public frustration.

Local businesses, residents and thousands of daily commuters in the area have been silently enduring the dust, daily traffic gridlocks and quietly bearing the brunt of the impact of the stalled construction.

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Launched in 2018, the Uppal-Narapally flyover was supposed to ease congestion on the busy NH-163. It promised to provide a swift solution to commuters travelling towards Ghatkesar, Yadadri and Warangal.

However, seven years down the line, with just 43 percent of the work completed and still no firm date for the completion of the project, one can’t blame the local residents and businesses for being frustrated and cynical about the project.

At present, on the ground, the situation is stark. The Uppal corridor, a once vibrant thoroughfare, has been transformed into a hazardous obstacle course. Huge gaping pillars, deep potholes, barricades and diversions set up by contractors and a persistent cloud of dust, enveloping the entire region, have become a constant sign.

It’s not just the torturous daily commute, the local shopkeepers and residents on the stretch, who had given up their prime land for the project, lament openly about the delay that has impacted them financially. The entire region has lost foot traffic, as customers avoid it because of the poor conditions.

“Not only have we suffered financially due to the delay in the project but also suffered daily from respiratory issues due to dust and gridlocks that take hours to clear. The project may eventually benefit once completed. However, at the moment, we are suffering,” the residents and shop owners here complain.