Kurnool: Closed Santosh Nagar Junction Turns Deadly
The main problem is the absence of an underpass in the locality. Residents of the area in and around Santosh Nagar have been provided with an underpass beneath the surface bridge near Eidgah to reach Balaji Nagar.
Kurnool: The closed junction on NH-44 between Santosh Nagar and Balaji Nagar here has turned into a highly accident-prone spot due to irregular road crossings by pedestrians.
Several fatal accidents have occurred on this stretch, with nearly 8 to 10 deaths occurring every year. Many pedestrians have been hit by unidentified speeding vehicles, raising serious safety concerns.
The main problem is the absence of an underpass in the locality. Residents of the area in and around Santosh Nagar have been provided with an underpass beneath the surface bridge near Eidgah to reach Balaji Nagar. Pedestrians have to walk nearly 2km to reach this facility and cross the busy national highway. To avoid this distance, many people cross the highway directly. This results in accidents.
On one side of the highway are Santosh Nagar, Vijayalakshmi Nagar, Geetha Mukherjee Nagar and other residential colonies. On the other side are Balaji Nagar, Stantonpuram and surrounding colonies. The Lokayukta office is also located on the southern side of the road.
Nearly 50,000 to 60,000 people live in these areas. Since most residents are daily-wage labourers and economically weaker sections, they regularly cross the highway to reach the city for work and other essential needs.
People cross the highway and are often hit by speeding vehicles. This crossing is a violation of road safety rules. The accidents mostly occur during nighttime when visibility is poor and vehicle speeds are high.
On an average, around ten people die a year on this stretch, while hundreds are seriously injured.
In the past, there existed a proper intersection on the highway between Santosh Nagar and Balaji Nagar colonies. Motorists and pedestrians could safely cross the highway through this intersection. However, due to frequent accidents, the traffic police closed this junction and facilitated uninterrupted traffic flow.
After the closure, no alternative safe crossing facility has been provided.
“We cannot walk such a long distance to reach the underpass. We cross the highway directly and are getting into accidents. We urgently need a road-under bridge at the Santosh Nagar–Stantonpuram intersection. Otherwise, people will continue to die on this busy highway,” said G Ramanna, a mechanic who works near the junction.