GVMC lays cycling track along Beach Road

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has taken up work on a dedicated cycling track along Beach Road, with the first phase covering the stretch from the Naval Coastal Battery (NCB) towards Sagar Nagar.

The track has been completed up to the Pandurangapuram Down area. Work on the remaining stretch towards Sagar Nagar will be taken up in phases, according to civic officials.

The initial phase has been taken up at an estimated cost of around ₹80 lakh. However, work on some sections has been deferred as underground drainage works are currently underway at several locations along the beachfront.

GVMC Chief Engineer PVV Satyanarayana Raju said drainage works were being carried out at various locations, including the stretch between the NCB and YMCA. The cycling track in these sections would be laid after the drainage works were completed, he said.

The cycling track is part of the GVMC’s plans to develop dedicated cycling infrastructure in the city. The civic body has proposed two exclusive cycling tracks to encourage cycling as an alternative and environmentally friendly mode of transport.

A 700-metre track has been proposed near Sagar Nagar Beach, while a 5.20-km track has been planned in the Arilova area near the Old Skill Development Centre.

The beachfront cycling track, once fully completed, will provide cyclists with a dedicated route along one of Visakhapatnam’s busiest and most prominent stretches. The GVMC expects the proposed cycling infrastructure to encourage greater use of bicycles and contribute to reducing vehicular pollution.