Uppal-Narapally Flyover Constructs Trouble Among Traders and Commuters
Hyderabad, September 6, 2025 – The much-anticipated elevated corridor from Uppal to Narapally is being constructed to be the second-longest flyover, less than PVNR Expressway in Hyderabad, as the city is battling chronic traffic congestion in the eastern corridor. However, while officials say that they could appreciate southward commutes when this is completed, life along this stretch of construction says otherwise: businesses losing revenue and customers, commuters battling through dust and slush, and residents coping with disruption for years.
Initiated in 2017, the project stretches 8 kilometers in length, with no installation area from the one earlier put on hold due to administrative entanglement. Though the government purports to be setting a new deadline of Dasara 2026, those living and working on the route persist in saying that it feels like an everlasting wait.
Small Businesses Count Losses
Dozens of small shops line the construction stretch from busy Uppal X Road onward. Hardware stores, general provision shops, textile outlets, and furniture sellers all report the same complaint: the roadworks have crippled access to customers.
Mohammed Akbar has run a hardware shop for several years: “Well, there is a dug-up ground right at the entrance of my shop. Pits turn into puddles during rains, and because the trench is right outside my shop, people hesitate to stop here. I lose business because customers don’t want to wade through ankle-deep water just to buy paint or nails.”
Like K. Venkatesh, who runs a general store, has been reacting to this same frustration. “I have been here for 15 years, but since the road was dug up, street customers stopped coming on their own. Only a few loyal regulars come. It has diminished tremendously.”
Monsoons are horrifying for a textile shop owner: “It becomes a little pond when it rains. For weeks, customers don’t even bother coming.” Meanwhile, a furniture dealer complained that dust clouds ruin his stock daily. “Every passing lorry kicks up thick dust. I spend more time cleaning than selling. It’s unbearable.”
Warning that continued disruption threatens permanent closure for some small traders, local business associations say that the flyover will ultimately bring improved connectivity but that the hardship in the interim has started costs that many may not recover from.
Commuters Have Dust, Slopes, and Stagnation
Daily commuters now refer to this under-construction corridor as the sharpest and most bitter stretch of the city. Peak-hour rushes make vehicles crawl as scorched surfaces take undeserving paths, odd diversions, and stretched lines of overcrowded intersections make navigation difficult.
G, a two-wheeler rider traveling every day from Uppal to Ghatkesar, has summed it up like this: “It’s choking dust in summer and endless slush during monsoon. Either smoke and grit come down your throat, or you’re splashing through lakes of waterlogged potholes. Simply the worst road to take.”
According to experts, this disruption is a cyclical occurrence in Hyderabad’s infrastructure developments, wherein big announcements are made over ambitious projects, but execution often ignores the immediate problems of citizens. Without temporary relief measures, like better diversions, dust suppression, or efficient drainage, the everyday lives around such projects tend to be unbearable.
Historically, disruption was seen with the PVNR Expressway, but it was completed on time, due in large measure to massive relief to commuters travelling to the airport. Analysts point out that the timely finishing matters for gaining public favor. The Uppal–Narapally project is already facing an eighth year and may become a hit case for delay if the deadlines slip once again.
New Timeline of Government and Public Expectation
The assurance was made earlier this year by Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy about the completion of the flyover within a period of one and a half years. Confirming this by the authorities, the flyover is expected to be ready by Dasara 2026.
Skepticism remained rife among residents and traders. After multiple delays of timelines in the past, many do not feel that faith can be restored until they see visible progress. ‘We have been promised deadlines before. We’re not going to believe anything until we see the last touches,’ said a local shopkeeper. Urban planners caution that communication and support for the communities impacted are as important as the project itself. Minor compensation packages, structured parking, and alternate access routes would have softened the blow for businesses and commuters. Rather, many perceive an abandonment of self alone in struggle.
Conclusion
For the moment, the Uppal–Narapally corridor is both hope and a problem: an ambitious program to cut through the long-term gumming but is now a daily hassle. If everything goes well and the government meets the Dasara 2026 deadline, the flyover will receive newer connectivity with eastern Hyderabad. Until then, however, residents and traders along the route sit in dust; disruption continues and business dwindles until finally there is relief that’s nearly a decade in the making.
