Pumpwell flyover ready for traffic

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 28, 2020: The Pumpwell flyover, part of the four-laning of Talapady-Kundapura stretch of National Highway 66, is finally ready to take traffic, just missing the ‘decennial celebrations’ of the construction work.

“The flyover is traffic-worthy and may be opened any day before January 31,” said National Highways Authority of India’s Project Director Shishu Mohan. Its formal opening or inauguration depends upon the protocol, he said.

Mr. Mohan said service roads of the flyover are also ready and certain stretches of them towards Nanthoor will soon be repaired. Work on the underpass at Ujjodi is also complete, he added.

Asked about the charges that the height of the passage beneath the flyover (from Kankanady towards Padil) was just 4.8m and did not conform to the prescribed standards, Mr. Mohan said the height was 5.2m. It was as per the approved design of the project, he added.Meanwhile, Ivan D’Souza, MLC, led a delegation of Congress members to inspect the work on Monday. He said the flyover could be completed because of the intervention of the district administration. “Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, did nothing to speed up the work except giving multiple deadlines,” he said. He urged the MP to expedite the work of underpasses at Nanthoor and KPT Junctions.

Work on four-laning NH 66 between Talapady-Kundapur, excluding the Nanthoor-NITK Surathkal stretch, started in September 2010 and Pumpwell (Mahaveera Circle) flyover was a part of the project. Concessionnaire M/s Navayuga Udupi Tollway Pvt., Ltd., failed to execute many flyovers on the stretch within the prescribed time, including Thokkottu and Pumpwell in Mangaluru, Karavali Circle in Udupi, and Shasri Circle in Kundapur.Thokkottu and Karavali Circle flyovers are complete now while Shastri Circle flyover as well as the four-lane road within Kundapur town are still incomplete. Similarly, a small bridge and portion of the road in Padubidri too is yet to be completed.

Mr. Mohan said all the pending works of the project would be expedited and completed at the earliest. He claimed that he took pains to ensure that the Pumpwell flyover was completed at the earliest within about six months of taking charge as the Project Director.


Courtesy:The hindu