Commuters brace for peak hour congestion amid steel flyover construction near KBR park

Partial traffic diversions came into effect on Saturday morning (February 28) in view of the pillar works for the proposed steel flyover and underpass at Jubilee Hills Check Post, KBR Park Entrance and Mugdha Junction in Banajra Hills.

The works, taken up under the Hyderabad City Innovative and Transformative Infrastructure (H-CITI) project, have now extended to Road no. 2, Banjara Hills, where pillar construction is set to commence in the first week of March.

On Saturday morning, around 9 a.m., barricades were put up near Park Hyatt for vehicles to divert towards Srinagar Colony on need basis.

For a commuter approaching the Srinagar Colony T-junction from Punjagutta, diversions are in place to either turn left towards Sagar Society or take a right towards road number 3 of Banjara Hills on the roastery cafe street. “As these roads are also narrow, we are only diverting some vehicles to divide commuters and have slightly lesser load on the main stretch,” said an officer on ground outside The Leela hotel.

Commuters from NFCL heading towards KBR Park Entrance, Jubilee Hills Check Post, Road nos. 36 and 45, and the Cable Bridge were also diverted through Srinagar Colony Main Road. Vehicles were guided via Indiranagar Labour Adda, Road no. 5 Jubilee Hills and Venkatagiri crossroads before taking a left towards Jubilee Hills Check Post.

During the morning at around 10 a.m., traffic slowed down between Mugdha Junction and KBR Park Entrance, with signal cycles stretching longer than usual. However, there were no major gridlocks, and manual regulation by traffic police prevented spillback into interior lanes.

Ravi Kumar, a marketing executive who commutes daily through the stretch, said the delays were slightly noticeable but manageable. “It is a weekend so it is less than what we might see from Monday. It is frustrating to crawl past junctions where you are used to getting a free left. But if the flyover and underpass finally ease the pressure at Jubilee Hills Check Post, it will be a relief for regular commuters like us,” he said. “We were just talking about how as commuters in Hyderabad, we are now slowly getting used to these constructions across the city keeping in mind the bigger picture of future in mind,” he added.

For some, even minor changes have altered routine travel time. Anusha Reddy, who drives from Marredpally to Madhapur for work, said her commute has stretched by five to ten minutes since the diversions began. “Depending on whether they divert us at Srinagar Colony or let us pass straight, there is a slight variation. It is not a massive delay, but during office hours every extra minute counts,” she said.

Officers on the ground said the diversions were being implemented only during build up, as Srinagar Colony roads are comparatively narrow.

On the return stretch, vehicles from Road nos. 36 and 45 in Jubilee Hills towards NFCL were diverted at Jubilee Hills Check Post. They were routed through Venkatagiri Road no. 2, Yousufguda Check Post, Maitrivanam and Ameerpet before merging near Panjagutta Main Road.

Traffic from KCP junction and Road no. 1 Banjara Hills towards KBR Park and Jubilee Hills Check Post was being redirected via Road no. 10 Banjara Hills, passing the Cancer Hospital and Agrasen Island before proceeding towards Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Road no. 45 Jubilee Hills. Similarly, motorists from Masab Tank were advised to turn left at Road no. 1/12 near Virinchi Hospital and continue through Agrasen Island to reach Road no. 45.

Traffic personnel stationed at Jubilee Hills Check Post, Venkatagiri crossroads, Yousufguda Check Post and Agrasen Island said diversions are presently partial and largely confined to one side of the carriageway during peak pressure. Broader and more consistent diversions around Jubilee Hills Check Post are expected in the coming weeks as pillar works intensify.

The traffic police have advised commuters to avoid the stretch during peak hours if possible, use navigation applications for real time updates and follow on ground instructions. Heavy vehicles have been asked to avoid the corridor during peak hours. Officials reiterated that diversions will continue to be imposed only on a need basis, balancing construction progress with traffic flow across the busy Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills network.