mangalore today

PWD to decide on closure of Shiradi Ghat soon


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 10, 2016: The Public Works Department (PWD) is yet to decide on the closure of Shiradi Ghat road for the phase II of development works.  This is a welcome matter for frequent travelers on the stretch.

It is said the indecision is due to the inability of the contractor to mobilise enough materials. The department had plans to shut down the road for laying rigid pavement by the first week of January is now in a quandary on the closure dates. The phase II of the road development work on Shiradi Ghat includes 21 kms of asphalt and 13 kms of rigid pavement. In the first phase, the ghat was closed for seven months from January 2 to August 9. The second phase works will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 85.28 crore.

 

Shiradi ghat road


The PWD engineers visited Shiradi Ghat to take stock of the situation and they found that material collection was woefully inadequate. ``We will have another inspection next week and check the progress. Only when we are certain that the materials are enough, we will order closure,’’ said an official.

Sources in the PWD department said while the rigid pavement (concrete road) will be from Kempuhole to Addahole near Gundya on the Dakshina Kannada border, the asphalting will be done from Maranahalli towards Saksleshpur. "The contractor has problems in sourcing materials. The agreement with the contractor was done a month ago. Last time though, the agreement was done in April and work started eight months later,’’ said the source.

The new concrete road will have five layers in it. While the road has geotextile sheet on its base, granular sub base, bed concrete, dry lean concrete and pavement quality concrete is expected to make the road long lasting. The rigid pavement work like phase I is expected to use four lakh bags of cement, 50,000 cubic meters of jelly (aggregate), 35,000 cubic meters of GSB mix, 30,000 cubic meters of sand and 800 tonnes of steel. As of now, just two per cent of the material has been collected.

Hopefully, efforts will be made to avoid closure and find alternate safe ways.