While many differ on the consequences of possible delayed execution of the Outer Ring Road Project, technical experts are sure of one thing.

“Till the road is completed, traffic chaos on the city’s internal roads will continue. In fact, it might worsen,” they say.

Among other things, easing traffic congestion and checking fatal road accidents on the internal roads of the State capital are billed as prime objectives of the ORR. For residents, the day begins with traffic snarls and culminates in chaos by evening whether it is north, south, east, west or central part of the city.

The L.B. Nagar junction through which the existing ring road passes on eastern side of the city is a classic example.

This intersection is connected to Chandrayanagutta on one side and Uppal on the other. Movement of heavy vehicles is so high on this route that breakdown of a single vehicle brings traffic movement to grinding halt.

Roads connecting these three points to the city are always choked.

People taking the L.B. Nagar-Dilsukhnagar-Malakpet are forced to travel at snail’s pace during peak hours. Number of vehicles in city is increasing by two times every five years. Going by this staggering growth, vehicles cannot even move on L.B. Nagar-Malakpet route.

The proposed ORR passes through Hayathnagar beyond L.B. Nagar. Any delay in ORR means forcing the commuters to bear the traffic forever.

Nothing explains better about the need for the ORR than the noon to night traffic jam recently witnessed from Bowenpally to Secunderabad following a religious meeting held at Kompally.

When the meeting was over, thousands of vehicles started off towards the city leading to a traffic jam.

“We could not do anything except to wait for the vehicles to clear themselves since there were no service roads and the available road was not wide enough,” Alwal ACP Laxma Reddy observed.

In fact, it is a re-run of the traffic chaos witnessed whenever public meetings are held either in city centre or fringes.

Delay in execution of the ORR may mean different results for different groups.

For commuters of Hyderabads, it is extension of physical and mental agony day in and day out.

Sources:
The Hindu