Road widening in Anantapur Many structures to be razed.

ANANTAPUR; Several multi-storey buildings with shopping complexes on the main road and circles of Anantapur will be demolished during widening of the National Highway into four-lane to connect two major highways in Anantapur. As per the road widening plan, the heart of the town - Clock Tower Road, Subhash Road and Suryanagar Road - will have four lane roads.

The National Highways sanctioned Rs 310 crore to have connectivity between NH 44 Road at Bellary Bypass and Chennai Highway Road at Pangal Road on the outskirts of Anantapur. The expansion would be 9.2 kms long and pass through Collectorate Road, Suryanagar Road, Subhash Road and Clock Tower towards Bellary Bypass Road. For the civil works, Rs 272 crore was allotted.  The tenders were opened on Thursday.

The existing road over bridge near the Clock Tower, which presently has two lanes, would be demolished and a



four-lane road over bridge will be constructed. In addition, two bridges will be constructed across Pandameru and also widening of bridges in the same route near Samatagram in the project will be taken up.

The National Highway authorities told this newspaper that the process for agreements with the construction company would take at least two months. However, there will be no land acquisition process in the main road but acquisition may be at main circles.

'Already, the road between Clock Tower and Suryanagar are of four lanes but encroachments resulted in two lanes with a few yards of foot path,' sources said. An official from the NH wing assessed at least 5 metres for road widening at a few locations where encroachments are more.

Sources said the AMC mayor owned a shop at Sapthagiri Circle and it would be also razed along with several other shops.