Work on NHAI’s Vijayawada Western Bypass picks up pace, second stretch to be ready by August

Vijayawada Western Bypass project by NHAI to decongest city, set to be partially operational by August.

After many hurdles, work on the six-lane Vijayawada Western Bypass, a National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) project undertaken to decongest Vijayawada, seems to have picked up pace and is likely to be made partially operational by August.

The 47.8-km bypass project was launched in 2021 to ease traffic in the city by routing the Chennai- and Hyderabad- bound travellers from Visakhapatnam through the Western Bypass Road, cutting their travel time by more than an hour.

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

While a clear timeline cannot be set for the first package, where pending court cases have stalled the work, the second stretch is expected to be thrown open to the public by August. As of July last year, a deadline of October, 2024, was set for the first package and April, 2025, was set for the second.

Explaining what is causing the delay in work on the first stretch, NHAI’s Vijayawada Project Implementation Unit Deputy Manager (Technical) Yasharth Mohun Srivastav 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.” At present, local traffic is being allowed on the first stretch.

On the second stretch, which involves construction of bridges over Krishna river and two rivulets, 89% of the work is completed, said an official. At present, there are two underpasses, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had requested for four more since the second stretch passes through Amaravati.

“Since that would have taken more than a year to complete, we are going ahead without these underpasses for now. By the time the capital is ready, the underpasses will be in place,” the official said, adding that the second stretch would be opened by July-August.