Shiradi Ghat to be closed again for reconstruction in a couple of months

Shiradi Ghat to be closed again for reconstruction in a couple of months

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 25, 2015: Those travelling between coastal region and the hinterland, including Bengaluru, should get ready for another round of detour to facilitate the remaining work on Shiradi Ghat.

In a couple of months, the contractor will commence reconstruction work — laying 13 km concrete road between Kempuhole Guest House and Addahole near Gundya, and laying 21 km bitumen road between Gulagale and Heggadde.

While the ghat road had been closed for over eight months from January this year, there have been demands to allow at least one-way traffic as the alternative routes were not only circuitous but also inconvenient to road users. However, there is no positive response to the demands.

Complete closure

The National Highways Division of the Karnataka Public Works Department, which is executing the work, is in favour of complete closure of the ghat road this time too.

A senior PWD official in Bengaluru told The Hindu that facilitating one-way traffic on the ghat stretch during reconstruction would slow down the work. Moreover, stretches of the ghat are not wide enough to allow one-way movement, the official said.

As the contractor uses paver machine to lay concrete, allowing movement of vehicles on one portion of the road would not be feasible.

Speedy completion

However, this time the department would take utmost care to ensure that the work is completed on time. Before commencing the work, it would see that the contractor has gathered at least 70 per cent of the raw material, so that work would not stop midway for want of material. During the first phase, untimely rain, spreading for over a month, had played spoilsport, the official said.

Meanwhile, the exact period of the closure and alternative routes would be decided at a high-level meeting to be held in Bengaluru after the contractor is formally asked to go ahead with the work, the official said.

Other routes

During the first phase of reconstruction, multi-axle vehicles were diverted on Sampaje Ghat via Puttur, Madikeri and Mysore while goods and passenger vehicles were allowed on Charmadi Ghat via Belthangady, Mudigere and Hassan. Bullet tankers transporting LPG to Bengaluru were routed via NH 66 till Honnavar and from there via Shivamogga.

Those travelling via Charmadi Ghat had, at times, faced traffic snarls as the road width is not enough to take the additional traffic load. Trucks transporting sand to Bengaluru region too added to the woes of road users.

 

Courtesy: The hindu