No service roads yet beside four-lane NH 66

No service roads yet beside four-lane NH 66

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 20, 2016: While the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has geared up to collect toll on the four-lane NH 66 between Talapady (Karnataka-Kerala border) and Kundapura by keeping three toll booths ready for operation, it’s yet to provide service roads at many important urban stretches along the road.

The NHAI should have provided service roads at five locations between Talapady and Pumpwell (Mahaveer) Circle near Mangaluru for 9.3 km. However, except for a small stretch of service road in front of the commercial tax check post at Kotekar Cross Road, none of the service roads are ready.

As per the NHAI’s concession agreement with Navayuga Udupi Tollways Ltd., which is executing the project, service roads are to be provided near Talapady Bridge (0.6 km), Talapady Town (0.8 km), Kotekar (0.55 km), Thokkottu (1.1 km) and Pumpwell (Mahaveer) Circle (1.6 km) on both the sides of the national highway. The NHAI has made construction of service roads mandatory at urban locales along the four-laned road to facilitate easy movement of vehicles to the nearest vehicle crossing.

NITK-Kundapura

Between NITK Surathkal and Kundapura, service roads of 34.56 km should have been constructed at 51 urban stretches by the authority or concessionaire. However, service roads are in place only in a few locations including Kapu, Udupi, Brahmavara and Kota.

Danger lurking

As service roads are not constructed and the four-lane road is already put to use, vehicle users are forced to ride/ drive on the main carriageway against the traffic thereby endangering their lives. Rajesh Poojary, a resident of Talapady said that if drivers/ riders did not go against the traffic, they would have to travel at least 2 km to take a U-turn towards their destination.

The situation becomes worse during nights when even drivers on the main carriageway get confused with the vehicles moving on the wrong direction defying the traffic flow, said Keshav Holla, a resident of Kota in Udupi district.

Had there been service roads, local vehicular traffic would have joined the main carriageway at the appropriate junction, he said.

Piquant situation

Residents of Yekkur, off Pumpwell Circle in Mangaluru, are in a piquant situation. Located just after a railway overbridge, they have to go all the way till Nethravati bridge to take a U-turn towards Pumpwell, or defy the traffic rules and move on the main carriageway against the traffic till Gorigudda Cross to join the carriageway towards Pumpwell.

Hundreds of people thus move against the traffic to avoid a detour.

The proposed service road (which is yet to be constructed) from Pumpwell would end near the Kendriya Vidyalaya. If it was extended till Yekkur Cross, the same would have benefited thousands of residents, said Shyamprasad, a resident of the area.

Courtesy: The Hindu