Cantonment left out of Link Road plan, residents cry foul
Despite years of appeals over road closures by the Army, the government’s latest phase of 24 new link roads does not address their struggles
Hyderabad: Even as Hyderabad moves forward with its ambitious link road project to ease traffic congestion, residents of Secunderabad Cantonment say they have once again been sidelined. Despite years of appeals over road closures by the Army, the government’s latest phase of 24 new link roads does not address their struggles.
For over a decade, the closure of key roads in Secunderabad Cantonment has turned daily commuting into a nightmare. The affected routes — such as Allahabad Gate, Gough Road, and Ordinance Road — were once vital links connecting northeastern Hyderabad to the city’s core. Their closure has forced nearly 20 lakh daily commuters to take longer, congested routes through Trimulgherry, Bolarum, and Yapral, leading to severe bottlenecks.
“The problem isn’t just that roads are closed — it’s that no alternative routes have been developed to compensate,” said Varun Chouhan, a longtime resident. “Lakdawala Junction, which used to be a secondary route, is now choked with traffic. Commuters from Sainikpuri and Yapral are left with no choice but to squeeze through lanes that were never meant to handle this kind of load.”
The closure of arterial roads has shifted traffic onto already overwhelmed roads like AOC Road, Trimulgherry Main Road, and Lal Bazaar Road. During peak hours, vehicles crawl bumper to bumper, with commuters reporting delays of up to 45 minutes for distances that should take 10 minutes.
The Telangana government recently announced a plan for 49 new link roads across Hyderabad, with 24 to be built in the first phase. These roads are meant to decongest major routes, yet none of them address the persistent traffic crisis in Secunderabad Cantonment.
Manasa Gajula, a software professional who commutes daily from Yapral to Hi-Tech City, voiced her frustration: “The government is announcing new roads all over the city, but what about us? We’ve been struggling with these closures for years. When Gough Road was shut down, we were promised an alternative. Nothing has happened.”
None inclusion of Cantonment areas in the link road plan has left many residents feeling abandoned. “It’s frustrating,” said Ravikanth Naidu, another resident. “The city has grown way beyond the Cantonment. But while other areas are getting new roads, we are still stuck in the same mess from a decade ago. The Army shuts roads, the state government ignores us — it feels like we don’t exist on Hyderabad’s map.”
“How much longer are we supposed to wait? We’re not asking for a flyover or metro — just basic road connectivity,” Chouhan said. “We urge the government to relook at this issue before traffic congestion becomes completely unmanageable.”
