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Gowlidoddi traffic congestion
Gowlidoddi traffic congestion Hyderabad ITs corridor
Hyderabad: During rush hours on weekdays, the road stretch between Financial District and Tellapur in western Hyderabad descends into chaos. Motorists navigating the narrow road at Gowlidoddi face significant challenges during their daily commutes due to severe congestion.
This 500-meter stretch, located near the IT hub, experiences hours of congestion every morning and evening. The road’s narrowness and multiple encroachments on either side, coupled with the absence of road dividers, contribute to the traffic bottleneck.
Koushik, an IT employee who commutes from BHEL to the Financial District five days a week, finds the experience frustrating. “From BHEL to Gowlidoddi (around 11 kms) it takes me 20 minutes, but just to cross this 500 meters it takes 20 to 30 minutes. It’s the same situation when I return home from work. When the city is growing, they must also improve the infrastructure,” he says.
In recent years, the IT boom has led to exponential growth in this part of the city, resulting in increased vehicular movement. Roads that were once suited for village traffic are now underprepared for an urban setting. Many employees residing in Tellapur, Nallagandla, BHEL, Gopanpally, Vattinagulapally, and nearby areas commute towards Gachibowli for work.
A potential solution is widening the road, but this is fraught with complications. “More than three years back, we widened the roads here, but this stretch couldn’t be done. There are so many difficulties like funds for acquisitions. If we can move these buildings five feet inside, the problem will be solved. But these things take a lot of time,” says a town planning official.
He also mentions that roadside sellers occupying space is a significant challenge. “We, along with traffic police, try to move them, but they come back and set up shop again. We can’t even move them forcefully.”
Improving traffic movement with road dividers, currently absent, could be another solution. Traffic police manage the flow with the help of barricades, which they adjust daily based on vehicle intensity.
