Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 26: As extensive repairs and reconstruction are proposed to be undertaken for the Shiradhi Ghat stretch of national highway 75 soon, this road will remain closed for traffic from December 1, 2014 to May 30, 2015. Alternative routes for use during this period are being considered. Three alternative roads have been identified, and two more are under consideration. The proposed alternative roads are Mani-Madikeri-Mysore road, Charmadi Ghat road, and Hulikal Ghat road. The other two proposed routes are Agumbe-NR Pura-Tarikere Road, and Karkala-Kalasa-Chikmagalur Road.

Concreting and repair of work is being undertaken between Gulagalale in Hassan district to Addahole in Dakshina Kannada district at a cost of Rs 155.18 crore. This entails concreting of 26 km stretch of the road and strengthening of 21 km road.

These things came up during discussions at a meeting held at the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) of Dakshina Kannada district on Friday July 25 to discuss alternative routes during the period the ghat road remains closed. This consultative meeting, presided by the DC, was attended by officials of PWD, national highways, KSRTC, police, Mescom, and telecom departments.

Executive engineer of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Nataraj, said that it had earlier been decided to close the ghat road from October 30 onwards, but the same was postponed, as identification of alternative roads had not been finalized. On the suggestion to allow one way traffic during the works, he said the road will be too narrow for navigation of vehicles, and machineries, materials and equipments which will utilize the road will pose dangers for vehicles.

When the DC wanted to know whether the Bisile Ghat road can be used as an alternative, PWD executive engineer, Dharmaraju, said that this road is in bad shape, and that it will remain closed during December for repairs. NHAI technical officer said that the processes relating to widening the stretch of national highway between Hasan and B C Road into four-lane road is in progress, and land acquisition process has begun. Along with the repair work, works to widen the road will also be held, he added.

The DC said that diversion of traffic from the Ghat road to other identified roads will increase density of vehicles there. He instructed the NHAI officials to coordinate the work of checking alternative roads with PWD officials and undertake works in these roads wherever necessary to enable them to withdtand heavy traffic. Superintendent of police, Dr Sharanappa, impressed on the need to display boards of instructions at strategic points on these alternative routes, and provide cranes at strategic points for use during accidents.

As per the present proposals, luxury buses, tankers, multi-axle vehicles, light vehicles etc will take Mani-Madikeri road. Government and other ordinary buses and light vehicles will take Charmadi Ghat Road, Tankers and multi-axle vehicles can also take Udupi-Kundapur-Hulikal Ghat-Shimoga-Tumkur route. Light vehicles can also take Agumbe-NR Pura-Tarikere road. The DC asked the officials to write to southern railway, requesting it to run additional passenger and goods train between Mangalore and Bangalore to compensate for the closure of Shiradi Ghat road for traffic.

At present about 700 buses including 400 government and 300 private ones, are using the national highway between Mangalore and Bangalore, it is gathered.