The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has announced plans for road upgradation of approximately 253 kilometres of roads, each over 40 feet wide, within the next five years. This comprehensive project will be carried out in phases under an operation & maintenance model, with a proposed investment of Rs 500 crore on an annuity payout basis. To streamline the process and reduce costs, the GVMC plans to assign the work to a single contractor, with a five-year timeline.
Currently, GVMC spends up to Rs 90 crore annually on road maintenance. “To manage rising costs and improve efficiency, we aim to adopt a single-agency contract system,” said GVMC Commissioner P Sampath Kumar during a press briefing on November 19, 2024.
The GVMC has completed assessments across all eight zones, categorizing roads as poor, medium, or good. Of the total, 39.92 km have been identified as poor, 116.36 km as medium, and 97.27 km as good. The project will prioritize revamping poor roads in the initial phase, followed by medium roads in subsequent years.
The upgraded roads will feature comprehensive infrastructure, including medians, bus stops, streetlights, ornamental lights, road markings, improved junctions, modular traffic signals, and CCTV cameras. A design survey is currently underway, and a detailed project report (DPR) is being prepared. Once finalized, tenders will be floated to kickstart the road network upgradation project in Visakhapatnam.
Post-completion, only minor touch-ups will be required every five years to maintain the roads’ condition. The civic body aims to convert all roads into concrete (CC) or bituminous (BT) roads by March 2026, adhering to strict deadlines. The project has received approval from Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, the Commissioner confirmed.
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