Title - Kukatpally-Hitec city RoB to open by May end

Rail over Bridge (RoB), the crucial link between Kukatpally and Hitec city, which was under construction for more than six years, is finally nearing completion.HMDA Metropolitan commissioner Neerabh Kumar Prasad, who inspected the site on Saturday, said the RoB will be opened to public by the end of next month.During inspection, he issued instructions to HMDA engineers and to contractors to complete the works as per the schedule. This RoB provides relief to commuters on JNTU-Hitech city route, he addedThe 910-metre-long and 21.5-metre-wide RoB starts at phase-IV of the Kukatpally Housing Board Colony (KPHB) and after crossing the cyber towers at Madhapur, ends at the Hitec City railway station on the spinal road.The South Central Railway (SCR) has completed 120-metre-long middle portion of the bridge recently.The RoB is to link Kukatpally, the thickly populated resident and commercial area, and Hitec City, the hub software industry, and will also reduce the travel time as well as congestion between the two areas.

Although the project got off the blocks back in March 2007, issue with clearances from SCR and administrative and financial problems held up work. As per the original deadline, the over bridge was supposed to have been ready by August 2008.

The delay has escalated the construction cost to Rs 47 crore from the original budget of Rs 24.38 crore. The HMDA has sought administrative sanction for the revised plan for the bridge.