After long delay the National Highway Authority of India has started constructing a flyover bridge near Ranasthalam of Srikakulam district, which was stopped after locals had objected to it. NHAI which developed six lane roads between Visakhapatnam and Ichchapuram four years ago but had stopped the construction of the flyover in Ranasthalam town with the strong objection from local people.The traders in the town feared that the development of a six lane road and construction of a flyover would hamper economic activity completely. NHAI officials could not take up the bypass road also with the objection from local farmers for the land acquisition. In this background, traffic jams and accidents became the order of the day in Ranasthalam due to narrow roads in the town, which is an important junction for nearly two lakh people living in surrounding villages.Etcherla-BJP MLA N. Eswara Rao took up the issue with NHAI officials and made them go ahead with the construction of the flyover in the existing route instead of acquiring land for the bypass road. He told The Hindu that ₹250 crore would be spent for the development of a six lane road (nearly 1.5 km stretch) and the flyover which would be ready within a couple of years. “We requested the NHAI to change the design of the flyover for the free movement of people. Open model flyover would ensure normal trading activity in Ranasthalam town, and be a big boon for local traders. Traffic flow will also be smooth,” said Mr. Eswara Rao.Published - October 10, 2025 02:39 pm IST