GVMC initiates groundwork for road expansion in One Town

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has finally started clearing the structures/properties for the extension of existing road to 60 feet in One Town area of Vizag city. According to officials, the road works will affect about 415 shops/structures.
As per the master plan, the road was supposed to be extended to 100 feet.However, following the objections from the merchants and locals of the area that the proposed 100-feet road will bring down thousands of shops and houses, the width of the road has been reduced to 60 feet. This road project from Jagadamba Junction to Old Post Office, which spans about 2.4 kilometres, has been hanging fire for a long time.
At two different instances in the past, the GVMC officials laid markings for the road expansion of 100 feet as well as 80 feet respectively, which only met with backlash from the locals. Currently, the width of the road at the widest stretch of the lane is about 50 feet and it is only some 30 feet in the narrow part of the lane. Given that the expansion is now limited to 60 feet, the majority of the businessmen can continue their trading at the same place without having any or partial impact on their structures.
Zonal commissioner P Siva Prasad said the road expansion is inevitable considering the needs of future generations and to give a facelift to the area. "The proposed width of the road was reduced to 60 feet in 2018 based on the opinions received from the public. Compensation and TDRs (transferable development rights) for structural losses were issued to several property owners in the past itself," said Siva Prasad.
Some locals also welcomed the road works. Ganta Ramana Rao, who is into finance business in Poorna Market area, said that the One Town is a melting point, housing people from all sections of the society. "It has great historical and heritage significance. But due to the narrow roads, sometimes even the ambulances could not come into some streets. At least this busy road needs immediate widening," added Ramana Rao.