Foot Over Bridges To Come Up Along NH 563 To Prevent Pedestrian Deaths
NHAI will build eight foot over bridges along NH 563 in Karimnagar district at a cost of ₹18 crore to improve pedestrian safety.
Gollena Mondaiah, a 55-year-old pedestrian, got killed on the spot when a car ran over him while he had been crossing the National Highway 563 at Chenjerla in Manakondur mandal of Karimnagar district last Wednesday.
Many pedestrians have been killed while crossing the newly constructed Karimnagar-Warangal NH 563 at different places. This has led to demand from residents that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) construct foot over bridges across the highway where movement of people is high.
Responding positively to the demand, NHAI has decided to develop foot over bridges (FoBs) along NH 563 at eight places with an expenditure of ₹18 crore. The FoBs are expected to come up at Shamshabad, Shankarapatnam, Kothagattu, Gollapalli, Shanthinagar, Kothulanaduma, Suraram, and Bavupeta.
Apart from the stairs, these bridges would have lifts for the convenience of physically challenged and elderly persons.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a kirana store owner from Chenjerla, M. Kumaraswamy, welcomed the foot over bridges saying they will save the lives of people. He wanted more FoBs than merely eight, preferably one at every large habitation.
The 68-km four-lane highway had been taken up at an estimated cost of ₹1,641 crore as part of the union government’s Bharatmala Pariyojana. The cost has reportedly crossed ₹2,000 crore.
The highway has solar lighting systems, CCTV cameras, advanced traffic management systems under which ambulances will reach accident spots within a short period of time.
The four-lane highway currently has underpasses and nine big and 23 small bridges at different places. There are also bypass roads at Manakondur, Shankarapatnam, and Huzurabad.
There is a toll plaza at Kothagattu in Shankarapatnam mandal.
