AP govt re-invites tenders for Vizag metro, to accommodate new changes

The Andhra Pradesh government has invited new tenders for the metro rail project in Vizag keeping in view the recently proposed changes. Earlier this year, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy proposed new developments and improvements to the existing project in a review meeting. In line with these new requirements, the government has invited new tenders to be submitted. Further, the State Government also decided to appoint a new consultant to prepare a revised detailed project report (DPR) for the metro rail project via an open tender. A Government Order that cancelled the bid received from Essel Infra Consortium was released since the bidder didn’t reduce the costs.

As per the new requirements, the metro rail project in Vizag will be extended up to Bhogapuram in North and Anakapalle in the South, covering Pendurthi. Tenders would be invited for the extended areas once a DPR is submitted. Previously, the corridor was supposed to be laid from Gajuwaka to Kommadi (42.55 km) in the first phase. In the revised plan, it will be extended up to the steel plant increasing the length of the corridor by 3 kilometers.

The first phase of the project was scheduled to be completed by 2020-24. The metro construction for 46.42 km is expected to be taken up in three corridors:

1. Steel plant to Kommadi via Gajuwaka, NAD, Gurudwara, and Hanumanthawaka (34.23 km)
2. Gurudwara to the old post office (5.26 km)
3. Tatichetlapalem to Ramakrishna Beach (6.91 km).

In the second phase spanning a length of for 77.31 km:

1. Kommadi to Bhogapuram via Anandapuram
2. NAD to Pendurthi
3. Steel plant to Anakapalle
4. Old post office to Rushikonda beach

In the third phase spread over 16.4 km:

1. Rushikonda Beach to Bheemili Beach

The metro trains are expected to have a frequency of ten minutes.

In accordance with the AP re-organisation Act, the Visakhapatnam Metro Rail project was proposed in 2014 and received the Centre’s principle approval in 2015. The original plan was to have the project ready by 2018. However, a fresh DPR had to be made after the Centre came out with the Metro Rail Policy in 2017. With the Andhra Pradesh government’s plans to name Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, the metro project is expected to be expedited. The proposed costing for the project is at an estimated Rs 8300 crore.