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Friday, March 29

NHAI works go slow at crucial junctions on Talapady-Kundapura section

NHAI works go slow at crucial junctions on Talapady-Kundapura section


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 1, 2015 : It has come to light that the remaining work on four-laning National Highway 66 at crucial stretches, including construction of flyovers at Pumpwell Junction in Mangaluru and Karavali Junction in Udupi, is still going on at a slow pace, yet the NHAL National Highways Authority of India is confident of completing the work before the June 2016-deadline.

The work was taken up in two sections — Karnataka/Kerala border from Talapady to Nanthoor in Mangaluru and Surathkal (NITK) to Kundapura, as the stretch between Nanthoor and Surathkal NITK had been four-laned under the Port Connectivity Scheme. Though the work started in 2010, it faced many roadblocks, particularly at important locations and junctions.

The ongoing work between Talapady and Nanthoor has been a real cause for concern as the stretch witnesses very heavy movement of vehicles between the two States.

Delay in construction of the road overbridge near Yekkur on the Mumbai railway line and the flyover at Pumpwell Junction have always been causing traffic gridlocks on the 2-km stretch. Neither is there a four-lane road nor the NHAI has taken steps to maintain the existing road in a motorable condition, regretted Abdul Razak, a resident of nearby Jeppinamogaru.

The flyover construction at Pumpwell Junction was held back for no reason and it is said that the Mangaluru City Corporation was pressured to seek change of design of the flyover, as a place of prayer would not be visible from the road if the flyover was constructed as per the original design.

At Padubidri, though it was originally envisaged to construct a bypass road, it was stalled on the ground that the bypass would result in eviction of poor families. While residents and businessmen in the town want a bypass, those living on the land through which the bypass is aligned wanted it inside the town, causing undue delay in the work.

However, NHAI’s Project Director Z. Samson Vijay Kumar told states that the work would be completed before the June 2016-deadline.

Lok Sabha Member Nalin Kumar Kateel has instructed that the Pumpwell Junction flyover be built as per the original design, and that the work on it would commence soon, he said.

At Padubidri, the existing highway would be four-laned, but only up to 45-m width as against 60 m elsewhere, Project Director. Vijay Kumar said. Flyover construction would soon commence at Karavali Junction in Udupi.


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