NH-44 traffic faces major delays due to damaged Kupti bridge

Commuters on National Highway 44 (NH-44) between Adilabad and Hyderabad are facing significant delays due to frequent traffic jams, road accidents, and infrastructure issues. A major bottleneck has emerged at the Kupti bridge in the Neradigonda mandal, which was constructed around 1973. A portion of the bridge was recently damaged, forcing authorities to implement one-way traffic diversions that cause delays of 20 to 30 minutes.

On September 5, a collision involving two lorries near the bridge resulted in one death and one injury, causing congestion that took nearly two days to clear. NH-44 serves as a vital north-south corridor, carrying between 6,000 and 7,000 lorries daily. The increase in heavy vehicle traffic, driven by rising online commerce, has also contributed to road damage and safety concerns.

NH-44 project officer Shashikanth stated that repair works on the Kupti bridge have begun but are expected to take approximately one month to complete due to the structure's age. Other contributing factors to travel delays include slow-moving road repairs, construction of underpass bridges at accident-prone black spots, and time-consuming waits at the Toopran toll plaza.