Major Road work to start by month-end
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, Oct 8, 2017: Widening and upgrading of the 65-km stretch of Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway between B.C. Road and Addahole (near Gundia), which has been delayed by more than month, will begin only by this month-end, according to a senior official.
At a meeting called by Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, to discuss highway issues, an official of Larsen and Toubro that has bagged the contract of the Rs. 821-crore project said the work could not be started in September owing to soil moisture content.
Vadiraj B. Katti, project manager and joint general manager, L&T, which has bagged the engineering, procurement and construction order of the project, said the company could complete the 15-km stretch by May-end.
Katti said issues on the 17-km stretch are yet to be addressed. The project involves construction of about 300 culverts. Forest Department clearance for taking up construction of some of the culverts is yet to be obtained. The project involves the construction of dual carriageway (four lanes) with concrete pavements.
Road-widening survey to begin on October 9 : According to DK MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will begin a survey on widening the Mulki-Kinnigoli-Kateel-Bajpe-Polali-B.C. Road and Melkar-Mudipu-Konaje-Thokkottu stretches of the road on October 9,
The NHAI has proposed to widen them under the Bharat Mala Project connecting highway to highway. The road will be upgraded and widened to 35 metres without a median, he told reporters after a meeting with NHAI officials here on Friday.
The two road stretches will connect national highways 66 (Kasaragod-Goa) and 75 (Mangaluru-Bengaluru). After widening, they will serve as bypass roads. As the Melkar (near B.C. Road)-Mudipu-Konaje-Thokkottu road passes through the “education hub”, having medical, engineering colleges and IT companies, its widening is the need of the hour. It connects NH 75 with NH 66.
In addition, MP. Kateel said the Public Works Department would upgrade and widen three roads using Union government funds. They are Gundia-Kukke Subrahmanya, Bantwal-Siddakkatte-Moodbidri, and Kalladkka-Vitla- Chervathur. These stretches will also be widened to 35 metres without a median.
All the stretches will be upgraded as tar roads, not concrete. The MP said bids have been invited to widen the Gundia-Kukke Subrahmanya and Kalladkka-Chervathur stretches. He also said the NHAI has been asked to fix potholes on the highways under its jurisdiction by this month-end. It includes the stretch between NIT-K and KPT Junction.
Earlier, the MP took an official of Navyug Udupi Tollway Pvt. Ltd. to task for not completing the flyovers and Pumpwell and Thokkottu. The official cited rain as the reason for slow progress of work and said the flyovers would be ready by May 2018.