mangalore today

Shiradi Ghat road works, no signs of completion in sight


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 15, 2015: As per latest reports, Shiradi Ghat stretch closure since January 2, 2015, has given cause for great inconvenience, expense and misery  lakhs of  people in Bengaluru, Mangaluru and enroute. Hundreds of peoples livelihood  has been disturbed seriously. Even students are facing a lot of trouble.


Shiradi Ghat road worksThe authorities concerned assured that the road would be opened on June 1, 2015, but signs of completing the work are not at all in sight. With the closure of the ghat stretch, buses and other vehicles going to Bengaluru and coming to Mangaluru,  have been made to travel  either via Madikeri-Mysuru or Charmadi Ghat (in Chikkamagaluru district) which needs far more time due to distance and poor road conditions. Train services are long and inconvenient  and are not too popular for travelers on urgent business.

Shop works in  Nelyadi, a village in Puttur taluk, said that business had been reduced by 80 percent. No bus passengers to patronise and  the road is unusable. Even  two petrol bunks along the stretch are operating on great loss.  People living between Marenahalli and Sakleshpur (about 17 kms) too have been affected as very few buses ply due to the closure of the ghat.

 Mangaluru-Bengaluru travellers and  pilgrims to Dharmasthala and Kukke Subrahmanya temples are facing the brunt of the troubles.  Yet, the DK DC Adoor B Ibrahim sated that  works on the first phase (13 kms) was in the final stages and the road might be opened for traffic by the end of July.

M/s Ocean Constructions directors,  said that as per the contract, the time given to them to execute the work was till November 23, 2015.  They added they were making all efforts  to "complete 18 months’ work in just six months" with the best available materials and imported machinery.   Unseasonal rains for about 20 days in April delayed the work, the contrctor brothers said that but for the rain, the work would have been over by May-end. They hope to complete the work within 10 days and curing in 21 more days. Constructing shoulders (edges of the concrete road), crash guards and safety walls would be completed on a parallel basis. 

The work on 69 culverts (from the initially planned 29) too is complete. All that remains is work on about 2.5 kms (out of 13 kms).  The Shiradi project was a challenge it is explained as the level changes every 10 metres, he said the terrain was one of the toughest in India.

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