Work on bridge to be completed in a month

Work on bridge to be completed in a month

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Feb 28, 2019: Work to widen the Kalsanka Bridge here is expected to be completed in a month. This bridge, located on the busy Udupi-Manipal Road, is now a part of National Highway 169A.

 

The bridge is a meeting point of four important roads. The road to the east goes towards Manipal, Karkala and Shivamogga, the road to the west allows traffic towards Malpe and Mangaluru. The road towards north is towards Kundapur and Karwar, while the road to the south-west goes towards the Rajangana Parking Space and Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple.

The need for widening the bridge became essential as tourist buses moving towards Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple find it difficult to turn. Hence, the Udupi City Municipal Council allotted Rs. 75 lakh for widening the bridge by 30 m. “This extension would provide for a free left turn for vehicles moving from Manipal to the Krishna Mutt/Temple,” K. Ganesh, Assistant Engineer, Udupi City Municipal Council, told The Hindu .

It would also help buses coming from Mangaluru and Karwar side to turn easily to reach the Krishna Mutt/Temple. At present, tourist buses struggle to take a turn on the bridge and move towards Krishna Mutt/Temple.

Now, when these buses start turning, they block traffic going towards both Udupi and Manipal and the other vehicles have to wait. The police struggle to manage traffic on the bridge. “The extension of the bridge will solve all these problems. It will be ready by April,” Mr. Ganesh said.

The bridge is one of the three junctions sought to be improved under a project under way to convert Udupi-Manipal-Parkala stretch of the NH 169A into four lanes. But the Kalsanka Junction is unlikely to be taken up soon because of land acquisition problems.

“If the Kalsanka Junction is further widened, it would make ‘left turn’ for vehicles moving from Udupi to Ambagilu more spacious and also provide for a free right turn from Ambagilu to Manipal further easing traffic flow. At present, there is no plan to widen the Kalsanka Junction as it would require land acquisition,” said an officer in the National Highways Department.