Working on Vijayawada Western at NHAI, the pace, extending the second time to August

Nhai officials said work on the Vijayawada bypass, Chinna Kakani, which connects Chinna Avutapalli and Guntur District, is being completed. |Photo source: KVS Giri

After many obstacles, working on the six-lane Vijayawada Western, a project from the National Highway Administration (NHAI) that works on the project conducted by Vestest Vijayawada seems to have reached its pace and will likely be partially operated by August.

The 47.8km bypass project was launched in 2021 to reduce travel time by more than an hour by ease traffic in the city by passing Chennai-and Hyderabad-Bound Travelers from Visakhapatnam through Western Bypass Road.

The bypass connects the NH-16 (Chennai-Kolkata) and the NH-65 (Machilipatnam-Hyderabad) of Gollapudi and is divided into two packages or stretches: one connects Chinna Avutapalli and Gollapudi and Gollapudi, and the second stretch connects Gollapudi and Chinna Kakani.

While there is no way to set a clear timeline for the first parcel and work that has yet to be stagnated in the court case, the second extension is expected to be open to the public by August. As of July last year, the October 2024 deadline is set for the first packaging and April 2025 as the second one.

Explaining what is causing the delay in work on the first stretch, NHAI’s Vijayawada Project Implementation Unit Department Manager (Technical) Yasharth Mohun Srivatav said: “Work is held up only in 520 metres of the first stretch, which is 30-km-long, as there is a stay order from the court regarding shifting of high tension (HT) Lanco lines. Whenever the stay is lifted, work can be expected to Complete in four months from then. “Currently, local traffic is allowed in the first paragraph.

A second time involved the construction of bridges and two creeks on the Krishna River, 89% of the work was completed, an official said. Currently, there are two underground passages, and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has requested another four since the second extension.

“Since this will take more than a year to complete, we don’t have these underground passages right now. When capital is ready, the underground passages should be in place.”

The first extended contract was awarded to Mega Engineering and Infrastructure Co., Ltd., while the second was awarded to a joint venture between Adani Enterprises Limited and Navayuga Engineering Company Limited.