Uddamgadda road-over-bridge nearing completion after five-year delay

The Uddamgadda road-over-bridge (RoB) in Shastripuram is finally nearing completion after five long years, surpassing its original 18-month deadline by a wide margin. It will be thrown open for traffic shortly, following the completion of pending service road works by the end of the month.

With an aim to ease traffic congestion on the Mailardevpally–Vattepally road and provide a hassle-free stretch for people to bypass the Uddamgadda railway gate, the proposal for the project was first cleared by the GHMC in 2017 at an estimated cost of Rs 71 crore. However, GHMC and South Central Railways only commenced the 490-metre RoB project in 2021.

Significant delays were attributed to a lack of coordination between officials from the GHMC and the railways, which led to completing the RoB at a railway halt in Shastripuram. Considered one of the most delayed joint ventures between the two bodies, the RoB was proposed to overcome perennial traffic issues by upgrading a time-saving passage connecting NH 44 to Old Kurnool Road and further to the Srisailam Highway.

Despite years of public suffering, officials have assured that only minor painting and electrical work remain. Earlier, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi raised the issue of these delays in the Lok Sabha during discussions on the Railway Amendment Bill 2024, noting that the Falaknuma and Shastripuram bridges could break records for their lengthy construction periods. The opening of the bridge by the month end is expected to provide massive relief to commuters and local residents who have navigated detours for years.