The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has closed four illegal openings cut out of the crash guards provided as a barricade between the NH-44 main carriageway and the service lane in the Anantapur city limits, which was causing a number of accidents.
In response to a report published in The Hindu on the illegal openings made in the barricades by some people, the Anantapur police identified some spots and urged the NHAI Project Director Jeevan Lal Meena to get the openings closed permanently so that vehicles coming from Hyderabad and going towards Bengaluru do not get disturbed by the entry of the local traffic through these illegal openings.
Mr. Meena on June 29 (Thursday) told The Hindu that they had been closing the unauthorised openings, but the people were removing them and the onus was on the police and the district administration to ensure that the crash guards and barricades were not stolen or removed.
“Another problem exists on the stretch between the NH-44 main carriageway and the service road, where the available space for free movement of vehicles is occupied by temporary eateries bringing vans, tables and chairs, posing a danger to the traffic. We have been serving notices on them, but they are paying no heed,” he said.
ANANTAPUR 29/06/2023 Crash guards that were removed unauthorisedly by the people to take a diversion from NH-44 main carriageway to the service road, closed by NHAI authorities in Anantapur. - PHOTO: RVS PRASAD/The Hindu
