A joint survey of Defence land for the two proposed alternative roads near Safilguda in Secunderabad Cantonment has been completed, marking a key milestone to ease congestion around the Army Ordnance Corps Circle. Officials from Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation, Telangana Andhra Sub Area, the Defence Estates Office and Secunderabad Cantonment conducted the exercise. The routes under study run from Safilguda Level Crossing to Entrenchment Road and to R K Puram Road Over Bridge. MMC officials said the two point nine one kilometre route from Safilguda Level Crossing to Entrenchment Road will require acquisition of 24 acres of Defence land and a further 10 acres is needed for the route to the R K Puram RoB, leaving nearly 42 acres to be transferred. The alignments include a six-lane, 100-ft wide carriageway on the Entrenchment Road corridor and a four-lane, 60-ft wide road toward the RoB. The project will provide alternative access when roads around the AoC Circle are closed for security. The proposal was initiated by the previous state government in 2017 after frequent closures of Ordnance Road, Wellington Road and adjacent links prompted commuter protests. The State government approved transfer of 153 acres at the Firing Range near Shamirpet to mitigate displaced activities. Tenders were completed by the erstwhile Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and the project moved to MMC after GHMC trifurcation. Officials indicated final transfer orders from Defence were expected in early June. The scheme is being pursued under the Hyderabad City Innovative and Transformative Infrastructure programme with an estimated cost of nearly Rs 10 billion (bn). For clarity, crore and lakh figures have been converted into billion (bn) and million (mn) units. The corridors are projected to benefit over zero point four million (mn) people in Malkajgiri, Defence Colony, Sainikpuri, Safilguda and neighbouring areas. MMC sources said works may commence by the end of June or after the monsoon once formal orders arrive.