Visakhapatnam: After several hurdles, road widening works recently started near RTC Complex in Vizianagaram.
However, owing to absence of safety precautions, the project has led to minor accidents in the area during the past few days.
The stretch of Lower Tank Bund road from Balaji Junction to Mayuri Junction is being extended along with drainage works taken up on either side.
The construction works are underway, however without any work-in-progress boards, safety ribbons and traffic barricades.
A car met with an accident near Padmaja Hospital last week. Fortunately, there was no casualty and the driver escaped with some injuries. According to Vizianagaram traffic DSP, the traffic police had already issued notices to the roads and buildings (R&B) department over this issue.
This stretch is the busiest road in the fort town with regular movement of RTC buses, trucks, auto-rickshaws, cars and two-wheelers. Commuters are apprehensive of going through this road due to frequent traffic jams and foul smell from the under-construction drainage systems.
“The municipal authorities have turned a blind eye towards the sanitation here. The sewage water is overflowing onto the road. The recent downpour in the town has made it almost impossible to use the road,” said K. Triveni, a resident of Gajularega, while crossing the road with difficulty.
Project manager Y. Shiva said that the R&B officials are coordinating with the municipality but no measures have been taken as it is a temporary issue. He further said that the plastic traffic markers that were put in place were stolen by some miscreants.
When asked about the slow pace of work, he informed that the delay was due to the problems related to shifting of electrical poles and other issues. The R&B department is planning to comple the project by the end of May.
The R&B department initiated this project in 2017. After the construction of Signature Bridge, this road extension project became crucial for the development of the fort town. The district administration plans to complete it before the coming general elections.
