Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has approved the first phase of the ambitious City Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP) to transform urban mobility in the cities of Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
Naidu said the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) department has designed CRIP to address chronic issues, such as weak junctions, waterlogging, lack of uniform standards, repeated re-laying of roads, and poor integration within utility services.
He directed officials to ensure quality construction, enhanced safety and accountability from contractors for at least a 10-year period. He said CRIP will be first implemented in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, before being replicated across the state.
“We would like to usher in a new era of resilient, citizen-centric urban infrastructure,” Chandrababu Naidu underlined.
Under the CRIP initiative, administrative sanctions have been accorded for works worth Rs 306.95 crore in Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and Rs 171.14 crore in Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) limits, covering a total of 110 km — 88.54 km in Visakhapatnam and 23.54 km in Vijayawada.
Both the urban local bodies are expected to issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the construction of roads within the next two to three days.
CRIP will be implemented under the DBFOT–Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), a public-private partnership structure aimed at ensuring long-term quality maintenance of roads. While 40 per cent of the project cost will be released during the 12-month construction phase based on milestones, the remaining 60 per cent will be paid as semi-annual annuities over the 10-year operations and maintenance period.
The scope of works goes beyond mere resurfacing of roads. It includes strengthening of footpaths, medians and storm-water drains, installation of utility ducts, upgraded street lighting, road safety features, organised parking and vending zones, street furniture and comprehensive junction improvements.
The concessionaire will be responsible for routine maintenance, drainage cleaning, landscaping, road markings and upkeep of all safety and electrical components for a decade.
Principal secretary (MA&UD) S. Suresh Kumar said CRIP would ensure a safe and consistent mobility experience for citizens through performance-linked payments and independent engineering oversight. He noted that the shift to long-term, performance-based maintenance would significantly reduce the recurring financial burden on urban local bodies.
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