CSIR-CRRI to partner with GVMC and VMRDA for safer roads in Visakhapatnam

A high-level meeting chaired by Visakhapatnam MP M. Bharath at the VMRDA office has set the stage for a scientific road-improvement programme in the city, with the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi, agreeing to partner with the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA).

A senior CSIR-CRRI delegation led by Director Dr. Ch. Ravi Sekhar took part in the discussions alongside Municipal Commissioner Ketan Garg, GVMC Chief Engineer P. V. V. Satyanarayana Raju and VMRDA Chief Engineer Vinay Kumar. Institute scientists presented technologies covering flexible pavements, performance evaluation of roads, subgrade improvement for weak and waterlogged ground, and urban road safety.

The talks come as GVMC, supported by VMRDA, carries out a large upgradation drive that will convert gravel and water-bound macadam roads to bituminous and cement concrete standards across eight constituencies. The programme covers roughly 228 km of roads, 34 km of central medians, more than 1,550 street lights and improvements to key junctions.

Opening the deliberations, the MP listed the city's priorities, including bridge assessments, quality control on road projects, deployment of an i-RASTE-type intelligent road-safety system, an end-to-end pavement solution and structured training for contractors and engineers. He noted that Visakhapatnam, with its major port, industrial base, expanding metropolitan region and long coastline, requires durable, scientifically engineered roads.

The discussion identified several areas for CSIR-CRRI study and remedy: relaying through end-to-end paving, new roads and reconditioning of existing ones; erosion of roads, urban flooding and coastal erosion; right-to-walk pedestrian facilities; road and road-safety audits; rationalisation of speed breakers; and a modern Road Asset Management System for the city's network.

To give the cooperation a lasting framework, Dr. Ravi Sekhar and chief scientist Dr. Vinod Karar assured speedy work on the modalities of two memoranda of agreement or understanding — one between CSIR-CRRI and GVMC, and another between CSIR-CRRI and VMRDA. The pacts would allow the institute's seventy-five years of road-research expertise to be applied directly and impartially to the city's roads.

The MP called for detailed planning of the proposed solutions and a clear, time-bound action plan so that Visakhapatnam can have the best roads in the country, and urged the civic bodies and CSIR-CRRI to translate the deliberations into ground work at the earliest. The CRRI Director said the institute is fully committed to the partnership and will promptly nominate nodal officers, conduct joint site visits and identify priority stretches.

As a first step, the CSIR-CRRI team, along with GVMC Executive Engineer Shanti Raju, surveyed selected stretches of the city's roads to assess road conditions, geometric design, road safety aspects, signage, junction improvements, pedestrian facilities and road distress parameters.