Decks have been cleared for the completion of the Rail Over Bridge (ROB) connecting Hitec City railway station with Kukatpally after South Central Railway (SCR) recently gave the go-ahead for its construction of the bridge on the railway track portion at Hitec city railway station recently
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has commenced work and is planning to complete the four-lane over bridge by May.
Although the project got off the blocks back in March 2007, issue with clearances from SCR and administrative and financial problems held up work. As per the original deadline, the over bridge was supposed to have been ready by August 2008.
The delay has seen construction cost escalate to Rs 47 crore from the original budget of Rs 24.38 crore. The HMDA has sought administrative sanction for the revised plan for the bridge. "SCR gave the clearance for the revised foundation drawings a week ago; the superstructure drawings are still awaiting clearance by them. Work on the 30 metre track portion will be taken up by HMDA under supervision of railway engineers," HMDA chief engineer V Madhwaraja told TOI on Friday.
The 910 metre-long over bridge begins at KPHB Phase IV (rear side) in Kukatpally to Cyber Towers and ends at Hitec City railway station on the spinal road. Apart from reducing traffic congestion, the over bridge also cuts down the travel distance between old Bombay highway and new Bombay highway by about seven kilometres for those commuting between Kukatpally and Mehdipatnam.
But it got delayed due to changes in drawings, objections raised by SCR, problems in shifting of utilities like water pipelines and escalation in the project cost.
"Except the railway track portion, which is about 30 metres long, the rest of the work will be completed by May this year," the chief engineer said.
However, analysts said that although the urban authority had overcome hurdles posed by clearances and revised estimates, it is facing problems as regards payments to contractors including Kukatpally ROB and PVNR expressway balance ramps. They are also facing action by the I-T department which has served notice for clearance of Rs 430 crore in tax arrears.
HMDA metropolitan commissioner Rajeshwar Tiwari recently held a official meeting on resource mobilization by way mainly of selling the land. Sources said that the next phase of auction of plots may be taken up in February.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has commenced work and is planning to complete the four-lane over bridge by May.
Although the project got off the blocks back in March 2007, issue with clearances from SCR and administrative and financial problems held up work. As per the original deadline, the over bridge was supposed to have been ready by August 2008.
The delay has seen construction cost escalate to Rs 47 crore from the original budget of Rs 24.38 crore. The HMDA has sought administrative sanction for the revised plan for the bridge. "SCR gave the clearance for the revised foundation drawings a week ago; the superstructure drawings are still awaiting clearance by them. Work on the 30 metre track portion will be taken up by HMDA under supervision of railway engineers," HMDA chief engineer V Madhwaraja told TOI on Friday.
The 910 metre-long over bridge begins at KPHB Phase IV (rear side) in Kukatpally to Cyber Towers and ends at Hitec City railway station on the spinal road. Apart from reducing traffic congestion, the over bridge also cuts down the travel distance between old Bombay highway and new Bombay highway by about seven kilometres for those commuting between Kukatpally and Mehdipatnam.
But it got delayed due to changes in drawings, objections raised by SCR, problems in shifting of utilities like water pipelines and escalation in the project cost.
"Except the railway track portion, which is about 30 metres long, the rest of the work will be completed by May this year," the chief engineer said.
However, analysts said that although the urban authority had overcome hurdles posed by clearances and revised estimates, it is facing problems as regards payments to contractors including Kukatpally ROB and PVNR expressway balance ramps. They are also facing action by the I-T department which has served notice for clearance of Rs 430 crore in tax arrears.
HMDA metropolitan commissioner Rajeshwar Tiwari recently held a official meeting on resource mobilization by way mainly of selling the land. Sources said that the next phase of auction of plots may be taken up in February.
