Rs.7,000-Crore Musi Riverfront Phase I to Feature 9 New Bridges, 3 Barrages
Two bridges in Zone 1B are proposed for upgradation: one at Manchirevula and the other at Ibrahim Cheruvu, which are low-lying causeways.
Hyderabad: The Musi Riverfront Development Project will construct nine bridges across the river and upgrade five existing ones, while building three water retention barrages as a part of Phase 1 of the plan, according to the detailed project report presented by Musi River Development Corporation Limited (MRSCL) on Friday.
The proposals, presented by MRDCL managing director E.V. Narasimha Reddy on Friday, cover 21 km out of the proposed 55-km stretch of the river within the ORR limits, divided across two zones. He explained that some of the structures were low-lying causeways which need to be lifted up, and that was also being taken up under the project.
Zone 1B, which runs along the northern bank from Osmansagar eastward, accounts for the bulk of the new constructions, with six bridges. The Gandipet bridge will be built near the reservoir's edge. A bridge crossing from Goshala to Greyhounds, a bridge over the ORR at Narsingi, the Bairagiguda bridge and Ramdevguda bridge in the mid-section of the zone and the bridge at Gandhi Sarovar near the Musa, are in the works.
Two bridges in Zone 1B are proposed for upgradation: one at Manchirevula and the other at Ibrahim Cheruvu, which are low-lying causeways.
Zone 1A, the southern corridor running along the Himayathsagar side, has new bridges proposed, at Budvel along the lower ORR stretch, at Gandhi Sarovar (Esa) at mid-zone, and near Bapu Ghat at the eastern end of this corridor. Three bridges in Zone 1A are slated for upgradation: The West Side ORR bridge, and the structures at Upparpally and Kismathpur.
The bridges are designed to carry vehicular, multimodal, and pedestrian traffic. The DPR describes a combination of bridge types suited to different crossings rather than a single standard design applied across the corridor.
Three water retention barrages are also proposed, separate from the bridges. The barrages are designed to hold water round the year. "Water always remains along this river," Narasimha Reddy said, "and this can enhance tourism, enhance economy, enhance activity, and everything in this particular area."
The barrages are positioned to work alongside the bridge network, one at the Kismathpur-Budvel stretch and another near Bapu Ghat bridge in Zone 1A. In Zone 1B it has been proposed near Manchirevula Bridge. The total project cost across all components of the 21-kilometre Phase 1 stretch is projected at Rs.6,500 crore to Rs.7,000 crore.
