PVNR Expressway Crash Surge: What’s Behind the Growing Safety Concerns?
HYDERABAD: Accidents on the 11.5-km-long PV Narasimha Rao (PVNR) Expressway more than doubled in 2025, raising fresh concerns about safety on one of the country’s longest flyovers. Official data show 13 accidents occurred on the corridor in 2025, compared with five in 2024.
A ground inspection revealed that authorities have either not implemented or poorly maintained several safety measures recommended by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). These include rumble strips, surveillance cameras and road markings.
K Ravinder, chief scientist at CRRI, said the institute submitted safety recommendations to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) in 2010.
“We submitted several recommendations to HMDA in 2010 to improve safety on the PVNR Expressway. These included transverse bar markings to alert drivers to upcoming hazards, crash barriers at sharp curves, crash-absorbing devices and glare cutters. However, when I travelled on the flyover again two years ago, I saw little evidence that authorities had implemented these critical safety measures,” he said.
The inspection also revealed outdated speed-limit signboards and too few warning signs near accident-prone stretches. Inspectors observed several vehicles travelling above 100 kmph despite the prescribed speed limit of 60 kmph.
Motorists frequently overtook other vehicles at high speeds on the narrow carriageway. The lack of crash barriers at several locations has emerged as another concern. Experts warned that low-height medians could allow vehicles to cross into the opposite carriageway if drivers lose control.
Inadequate medians increase risks
A crash last month highlighted the dangers posed by inadequate medians. Two people suffered injuries after a car overturned on the expressway.
The vehicle carried five occupants and was travelling from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) towards Mehdipatnam. The driver lost control and struck the divider. The impact overturned the vehicle onto the opposite carriageway.
Police officials said the absence of CCTV cameras often complicates accident investigations.
“We have written to HMDA seeking surveillance cameras at strategic locations. When accidents occur on city roads, we rely on CCTV footage or eyewitness accounts to determine the cause. On the PVNR Expressway, we often have neither. This makes investigations challenging,” said Rahul Hegde, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-III), Hyderabad City Police.
Officials said accidents on the expressway frequently cause major traffic congestion. Authorities often deploy recovery vehicles to remove damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow.
Experts call for immediate interventions
Road safety experts said engineers designed the expressway for operating speeds of 50-60 kmph. As a result, excessive speeding remains a major risk factor.
At present, only one traffic policeman with a speed laser gun monitors the corridor near the Shamshabad airport end.
“There are several S-curves on the flyover, and authorities cannot realistically alter its design or alignment. However, they can introduce safety measures such as proper road markings, warning signboards at black spots and curves, and CCTV surveillance. Many of these measures remain absent,” said Vinod Kanumala, co-founder of the Indian Federation of Road Safety.
