Hyderabad to get RRR

The 158-km Jawaharlal Nehru Outer Ring Road (ORR), that circles Hyderabad, will soon have a companion: A 290 km Regional Ring Road (RRR).If the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority's (HMDA) plans are anything to go by , work on the project is expected to start soon.
When contacted, HMDA officials said a consultant engaged by the authority recently prepared a preliminary feasibility study for the RRR which would be sent to the municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) for administrative sanction.
The RRR is expected to have a 90-metre `right of way' (six lanes) and will pass through areas such as Toopran, Shivampet, Narsapur, Ismailkhanpet, Chevella, Shabad, Shadnagar, Kothur, Gudur, Malkapur, Kothiyal, Mulugu and another 125 villages. The proposed ring road will subsume 210 km of existing road and land acquisition is required to widen these stretches.The rest of the 80 km will be new. “The feasibility (report) of the RRR has already been prepared. The estimated cost for the new ring road is between Rs.7,000 crore and Rs.8,000 crore including the cost of land acquisition. The financial model for the project is being worked out by the government. Initially , the authority wants to take up one stretch on a pilot basis,“ HMDA metropolitan commissioner T Chiranjeevulu said.
The urban authority had earlier used different financial models for different stretches of the ORR. While the Phase I of ORR from Gachibowli to Shamshabad was taken up with its own funds, other stretches like Pedda Amberpet to Shamshabad, Narsingi to Patancheru, Patancheru to Shamirpet, Shamirpet to Ghatkesar and Ghatkesar to Pedda Amberpet were taken up under the annuity model and with financial assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency . Recently, the HMDA completed the last stretch from Shamirpet to Ghatkesar, which is to be opened for general public soon.
The HMDA had proposed the RRR under the Metropolitan Development Plan (MDP)-2031 for the 7,200-sq km Hyderabad Metropolitan Region a couple of years ago. The RRR was proposed to improve connectivity to urban nodes and urban centres beyond the existing ORR. It was also expected to connect ORR and centres such as IT special economic zones and upcoming projects like Pharma City at Mucherla.
Officials claimed that proper care had been taken while preparing the feasibility report and a decision was taken not to disturb the natural environment, human habitation and heritage sites. It was also decided to complete the project with minimum land acquisition by identifying alternative routes to avoid major acquisition.