The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has made key changes to the ambitious H-CT (Hyderabad Creative, Technology and Innovation) infra project around the KBR National Park in Hyderabad city. It has decided to build a single huge elevated corridor in place of the multiple flyovers and underpasses proposed earlier. The new proposal aims to further facilitate transportation from Punjagutta-Banjara Hills towards Jubilee Hills.

The GHMC Standing Committee has approved this revised proposal. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Jayesh Ranjan, Special Principal Secretary, Metropolitan Area and Urban Development Department. The committee has directed the officials to prepare new designs and cost estimates for the elevated corridor.

This is the new plan..

According to the latest proposal, a six-lane elevated corridor of about 4 km in length will be constructed from NFCL junction near Panjagutta to Jubilee Hills checkpost area. This will allow motorists to travel faster towards Jubilee Hills, Hi-Tech City-Madapur IT corridor without any signals.

Reasons for the change in plan

This is a major change in the H-CT project around KBR Park. Earlier, GHMC had planned to construct several steel flyovers and directional underpasses at key junctions around the park. The estimated cost under Package I and II was initially Rs. 826 crore, which was later increased to Rs. 1,090 crore. 

However, in August this year, a clockwise one-way traffic system was introduced around KBR Park. This system, which was started temporarily for construction work, has improved traffic movement, officials noted. This has led to a rethink on whether all the grade separators initially proposed are necessary.

In addition, the old project also faced environmental and legal implications. Work has been stalled due to a stay on the felling and relocation of trees within the KBR Park eco-sensitive zone. It is in this context that the GHMC has revised its plan.

Although the standing committee has approved it for now, it is not the final construction plan. The full engineering designs and revised cost estimates related to it are yet to be prepared. Later, the proposal will be sent for approval by the state government and placed before the EPC committee and the GHMC general body. With these changes, the appearance of H-CT, one of the largest road infrastructure projects in Hyderabad, will change significantly.