Visakhapatnam pushes road widening, flyovers to ease traffic congestion
With traffic congestion rising on major arterial roads, Visakhapatnam is stepping up plans for road widening and flyover construction. The city aims to ease growing mobility pressure in its fast-expanding urban areas.
Commuters on key corridors such as NH-16, Madhurawada, Gajuwaka, Maddilapalem, Hanumanthawaka, and PM Palem face long delays, especially during peak hours. Higher vehicle numbers and limited alternative routes create frequent bottlenecks at several junctions.
Urban planners and transport experts say the road network cannot keep pace with rapid expansion and rising private vehicle ownership. They also expect the situation to worsen with upcoming projects like Bhogapuram International Airport and new regional connectivity links.
A senior urban transport expert said, “Visakhapatnam’s growth has outpaced its road infrastructure. The city now faces corridor saturation. Widening alone will not help unless junctions also get decongested through grade separation.”
Authorities now prioritise road widening along key stretches. They aim to improve traffic flow and reduce choke points in fast-growing residential and commercial zones. Experts also stress the need to redesign major intersections.
Planners propose flyovers at high-traffic junctions such as Anandapuram, Maddilapalem, Hanumanthawaka, Gajuwaka, and PM Palem. These junctions often face heavy congestion due to intersecting traffic streams and long queues.
A transportation planning expert said, “Flyovers are essential where arterial roads carry both local and through traffic. Without grade separation, congestion only shifts from one point to another.”
Officials link these measures to long-term mobility planning. This includes integration with upcoming metro rail corridors and strengthening NH-16 as a key regional transport spine.
A senior urban infrastructure official said fragmented road layouts and a lack of parallel corridors have increased pressure on existing roads. “We face structural limits of urban growth. We must expand capacity at both corridor and junction levels to keep the city moving,” the official said.