Works of Seed Access Road at sluggish pace

Amaravati: The progress of Seed Access Road, the main entry to capital city Amaravati, along with 20 other priority roads, is at sluggish pace even as the task of capital city construction is reaching crucial phase.

Though the contract date for some of these works completed in 2017 and the extension period also completed, the cumulative progress for several road works is limited to below 5 per cent only. Amaravati Development Corporation Ltd (ADCL) contended that terrain problems, technical and land acquisition issues are the major reasons for delay in completion of road works.

The government took up the Seed Access Road as the first work in capital city in 2016 as it has been planned as the main entry for Amaravati. Works of around 20 priority roads had also been taken up in 2017. All these road works have been entrusted to ADCL to execute and the urban body issued tenders for a total length of 240 km. These roads will improve connectivity among all areas in capital city region.

According to sources, the contract period for Seed Access Road (E-3 road) started on July 16, 2016 and fixed December 17, 2017 to complete it. But the ADCL has completed only 60.59 per cent of total estimated work of seed access road costing Rs 130.61 crore.

The works of other priority roads was not encouraging. Though the work had to be completed by March 22, 2018, the cumulative progress of E-8 road is 27.51 per cent only.

Similarly, the progress of N-9 road is 36.72 per cent, N-4 and N-14 roads is 21.07 per cent and E-10, E-14 and N-16 roads is 16.51 per cent. The last date for completion of these roads is ended in March 2018. The irony is that the cumulative progress for the remaining roads is below 5 per cent only.

However, the ADCL is claiming several hurdles in completion of these roads works. Interestingly, ADCL chairperson and managing director D Lakshmi Parthasarathy told The Hans India that they gave notices to some contract agencies for delay in execution of works and took the matter to the notice of the government.

She said they were also resolving some practical issues involved in execution of works and expressed confidence to complete the seed access road work within 5 to 6 months.

Seepage a major issue
A senior official of ADCL said the seepage of water is a major hurdle in execution of works in the capital city. “Wherever, the contractor digs 10 to 15 ft, water oozes out. So, they need to siphon out the water continuously to prepare the ground for road and bridge works,” the official said.

The official also said though the flood levels in the capital city area, which is on bank of river Krishna, is very important and sensitive, they were not taken into consideration for preparation of estimations for road and bridge works.

“Due to this, several minor bridges included in preliminary estimations, had to be changed as major bridges. As each road has at least 3 to 4 bridges, it led to delay in works,” he said. Lakshmi Parthasarathi said that 20 to 30 per cent of land must be handed over to ADCL to execute road works by the APCRDA.