Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metro’s Phase-II expansion will proceed with separate elevated corridors and Metro lines, after authorities decided to drop double-decker structural plans citing safety and technical challenges. The revised strategy comes after Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s earlier proposal for a double-decker near Gangaram in Madinaguda, featuring a flyover at the lower level with the Metro rail above, discussed with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Initially, Metro officials examined elevated corridors from Paradise to Dairy Farm and Parade Ground to Shamirpet, exploring single-column designs to integrate both flyovers and Metro tracks. However, after technical studies flagged risks such as vibrations and potential hazards even in minor accidents, authorities moved to separate the structures.
Consultations between the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and Metro engineers concluded that shared pillars posed operational safety concerns. Consequently, dedicated structures will now be developed for each corridor.
According to the Phase-II plan, the existing 29-km route from LB Nagar to Miyapur will extend with another 13.4 km towards Patancheru and 7.1 km towards Hayathnagar, forming a 49.5 km network where single trains will operate. Separately, a 36.8 km Metro line is planned from Nagole to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport with 24 stations, which may be reduced to 20 to enable high-speed services.
Additionally, a 6-lane elevated corridor of 18.1 km from Parade Ground to Shamirpet and a 5.4 km flyover from Paradise to Dairy Farm along National Highway 44 are in the pipeline. Earlier proposals for double-decker elevated structures along 12.1 km of the Shamirpet corridor and 4 km on the Kandukur route were shelved in favour of separate alignments after detailed reviews.
Similarly, plans for a combined structure near Wipro Junction in the IT corridor were dropped over vibration and security worries. On the LB Nagar–Airport Metro route, a six-lane flyover from TKR College Junction to Mandamallamma Junction will proceed independently of the Metro corridor.
Officials under the HMDA stated that although designs were ready for double-decker pillars, operational risks outweighed cost benefits. Construction will now adopt separate alignments for Metro tracks and flyovers within GHMC limits and adjoining corridors.
