Visakhapatnam Semi Ring Road Process needs Speed UP
Visakhapatnam City is an industrial power house its importance in economy and defence cannot be understated. The city lies bang in the middle of the East Coast between Chennai and Kolkata. This is the only tier1 hopeful city on the East Coast.
With such importance, it enjoyed reasonably good connectivity till 1990s. Since then political negligence on one side and growing economy of India have put the transportation and logistics status of this city to a shame, in comparison to many otherwise tier 2 cities which got their infrastructure impressively upgraded.
Be it Express ways or 6-laning of national highways, tripling and quadrupling of railway tracks, increasing the flight services, the East Coast has been neglected. This situation is changing of late.
Railways, Waterways and Airways are a different matter. The city has rejoiced when it’s included in the Niti Ayog Growth Hub Program. However its plan suggested the existing NH16 bypassed alignment between Anandapuram and Anakapalle as the outer ring road for city, pouring cold water on upbeat hopes in city.
The highway itself has some serious inadequacies and on top of that designing the NH as Semi Ring Road is disappointing.
Perhaps, sensing the popular discomfort in everything being setup in Amaravati, and cities like Vizag being given raw deal, the State Government have announced plans for a Semi Ring Road around Visakhapatnam after much delay. Its stated to stretch from Bhogapuram to Rambilli. Its in state jurisdiction and hence SG has to fund and execute the project. However, given the precarious financial position of the state, there’s no knowing of when this will be grounded.
Clearly, the future traffic needs of nation not just the region are increasing. A lot of through traffic will be passing via Visakhapatnam. For them the existing NH16 would be inadequate. Its needed to divert huge volumes of traffic without touching the city.
Visakhapatnam Semi Ring Road (SRR) is not like Amaravati Outer Ring road which passes largely through villages. Visakhapatnam SRR on other hand connects the newly emerging and the already thriving peripheral areas of economic, logistics and academic activities.
The Aluri Sita Rama Raju Visakhapatnam International Airport which is about start near Bhogapuram will be an aviation hub and probably a data centre and hospitality hub too. Padmanabham to Kothavalasa belt, SEZs, Railway yards, Expressway interchanges, Residential hubs at Sabbavaram, Vangali Education hub will be connected. Whereas, the Anakapalle Rambilli industrial belt with many new investments will be touched by it emptying the traffic going to reach highway quickly. A spur to the areas around Nakkapalli is probably needed.
Precarious financial position and obligation to deliver welfare schemes have put the government under pressure. With Amaravati being highly prioritised, scant attention is being paid to other areas including Visakhapatnam. Other pressing infra projects like Metro, Flyovers are also languishing. Leaving the Vizag SRR on just paper.
Without any of these critical infrastructure requirements, the city of Vizag will be broken its growth will be halted as far as road transport is concerned.
