New underpass at My Home Avatar Junction opens to ease peak-hour traffic

A new vehicle underpass (VUP) at My Home Avatar Junction opened to traffic on Thursday, September 17, in a move expected to ease congestion at one of the busiest merging points on the route towards the Financial District.

The junction handles heavy volumes during the morning rush. Between 8.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m., roughly 33,000 vehicles pass through from the Nanakramguda side, with similar numbers during the evening peak, according to K. Chandrasheker Reddy, ACP (Traffic), Madhapur. That works out to around 11,000 vehicles an hour, or more than 180 every minute, during the morning rush.

Traffic at the junction converges from Manikonda, Puppalaguda, Khajaguda and the IT corridor, as commuters head towards Kokapet, Narsingi and the Financial District.

During peak hours, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and again from 4.30 p.m. to 7 p.m., around 25% to 30% of vehicles moving in that direction take a U-turn, the ACP said. Until now, these vehicles waited at the junction alongside through-traffic, adding to queues and slowing overall movement.

The new underpass is expected to remove a sizeable share of that U-turning traffic from the junction. It is likely to benefit commuters travelling from Manikonda, Puppalaguda and Khajaguda towards Kokapet, Narsingi and the Financial District.

Mr. Reddy noted that crossing the stretch normally takes about five to six minutes, but the time doubles during peak hours. For those taking a U-turn, the wait could stretch to around eight minutes. The VUP is expected to take that movement away from the junction.

Authorities are also planning further U-turn arrangements to make the junction waiting-free, though the ACP said this would take some time.