mangalore today

NHAI says ’Shiradi Ghat’ road to reopen Aug 1


Mangalore Today News Network

Mudigere, Jun 16, 2015 : As per reliable reports,  Shiradi Ghat road, which connects Bengaluru with Mangaluru on National Highway 48, will be reopened on August 1, say  officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Shiradi GhatPart of NH 48 (Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway) has been closed for traffic for the last six months for upgrade.  On June 15, Monday, various organisations staged a massive protest rally in Sakleshpur, forcing the NHAI to assure that the road would be opened for traffic on August 1.

The protest rally began from the old bus stand in Sakleshpur town at 10.30 am and passed through the Hemavathi bridge and the temple street. Protesters blocked the highway for more than two hours. They demanded that DCs Hassan and Dakshina Kannada, the NHAI chief engineer, the contractor and other engineers come to the spot and make a proper statement.  They raised slogans against the authorities concerned as well as the contractor.

NHAI engineer, Raghavan, visited the spot and explained that since the highway at Shiradi was narrow, it was impossible to take up the work while traffic was moving.  The delay, he said was the movement, the work had to be stopped because of continuous rainfall for 20 days in April. But the work is going on in full swing and is almost complete. Asphalting would get over in the next 13 days provided there is no rainfall, he assured.

NHAI Chief Engineer, C Mruthyunjaya Swamy, explained that it was not possible to open the road for traffic immediately before the work was completed. The concretisation of 9.5 kms is complete and the road will be opened for traffic from August 1 onwards, he promised.  NHAI assistant engineers Jayaram and Nataraj, and Sakleshpur Tahsildar Nagesh were present it is stated.