Commuters Hit by Delays, Risks on Sec'bad-Medchal Corridor

HYDERABAD: Thousands of commuters on the Secunderabad–Medchal stretch of National Highway-44 are facing prolonged delays and mounting safety risks due to incomplete and stalled road and flyover works, the Confederation of Resident Welfare Associations (CoRWA) has said in a letter to Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari.

CoRWA noted that flyover construction and road-widening works along the Secunderabad–Medchal corridor have remained unfinished for long periods, leaving damaged carriageways, barricades, frequent diversions and half-built structures. These conditions, it said, are causing severe hardship to office-goers, students, goods carriers and long-distance travellers entering and exiting Hyderabad towards Nagpur and beyond.

The association pointed out that the corridor is a vital arterial link, where the normal travel time of about one hour has now stretched to nearly two hours or more during peak traffic. Commuters are grappling with long jams triggered by uneven road surfaces, potholes, sudden lane drops and poorly managed diversions.

At several locations, the carriageway remains badly damaged, leading not only to congestion but also to frequent accidents and vehicle breakdowns. Large stretches on both sides of the highway have been dug up for flyover works, but with little visible progress on piers, decks or service roads for months, creating the impression that the project has been abandoned.

While acknowledging the ministry’s work on highway development elsewhere, CoRWA said the prolonged delays on this stretch were disrupting daily life and heightening risks for motorists. It urged the Union minister to personally review the situation and direct authorities to take corrective steps on priority to restore safe, motorable conditions.

The representation was signed by CoRWA president Col Tejendra Pal Tyagi (retd) and secretary-general B.T. Srinivasan.