GVMC chief seeks faster airport road works

Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner Ketan Garg on Sunday asked officials to speed up construction of the proposed connectivity roads to the upcoming Bhogapuram International Airport and clear all pending issues without delay.

During an inspection, Mr. Garg reviewed the ongoing works with GVMC Chief Engineer P. V. Satyanarayana Raju, Chief City Planner A. Prabhakara Rao, and senior engineering officials. He first examined the 6.15-km stretch between Vepagunta and Juttada and sought a detailed update on progress.

Officials explained that work on this stretch had slowed due to pending matters involving several departments. Therefore, the Commissioner immediately contacted officials from agencies such as the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Forest, Defence, and APEDCL. He instructed them to resolve the issues on priority and ensure smooth coordination.

Mr. Garg said inter-departmental clearances should not obstruct key infrastructure projects. Instead, departments must act quickly so that construction continues without interruption. He added that officials should address all pending approvals at once rather than allowing them to pile up.

Later, the Commissioner inspected the 3.92-km road stretch connecting Vepagunta and Pinagadi. As officials reported no major constraints on this route, he directed the Chief Engineer and the Chief City Planner to finalise the action plan immediately. He also asked them to take up the works on a fast-track basis.

Mr. Garg said the proposed roads aim to ensure smooth movement of passengers and vehicles to the international airport. Moreover, he stressed that the links would play a vital role in meeting future traffic demands and improving public convenience. He instructed officials to complete the works at the earliest and open the roads for public use.

Finally, the Commissioner asked engineering and town planning teams to maintain constant coordination with all concerned departments. He said they must resolve issues during execution itself, instead of allowing them to delay the overall project.