HMDA safety net for ORR at `40 cr

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is leaving no stone unturned to ensure safe travel of motorists through the 158-km long stretch of the Outer Ring Road (ORR).

It would take up safety improvement measures at a cost of `40 crore in the next few weeks. This decision follows recommendations of experts of New Delhi based CRRI (Central Road Research Institute).

It may be mentioned here that CRRI was tasked with the responsibility of conducting a road safety audit on the ORR and give recommendations to HMDA for safety improvement.

For over three months, CRRI experts have checked the length and breadth of the area and gave their draft recommendations.

According to HMDA commissioner T.Chiranjeevulu, the experts were happy with the road engineering, but suggested a few measures for safety improvement.

“They suggested double beam crash barriers on both sides, which will act as shock absorbers, minimising the accident impact to a certain extent. At present, we have crash barriers on one side of each line which are separated by a central median. They suggested crash barriers on both sides in each line so that vehicles do not slip into other lanes risking lives of people travelling in the opposite direction,” he said.

Accordingly HMDA has identified nearly 40 to 50 locations and curves to install these crash barriers right next to the central median on both sides. This is set to cost over `28 crore.

It was also suggested to install optical speed arrestors on the road at few locations, so that vehicles will slow done marginally.