Gadkari directs NH, NHAI to make Shiradi Ghat operational within a week

MANGALURU: A high powered meeting convened by minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari at his office in Delhi on Tuesday at the behest of Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has taken important decisions pertaining to languishing National Highway projects in the district. This includes the all-important move to throw open the vital Shiradi Ghat stretch along NH 75 that connects Bengaluru for traffic within a week.
Nalin told TOI over phone from Delhi that the meeting that saw authorities of Navayug – the concessionaire for Talapady-Kundapur four-laning project, NH division and NHAI along with elected representatives from the district and secretaries concerned participate – direct the concessionaire and the officials to expedite work on the projects. Accordingly, Gadkari first has asked the officials to open Shiradi Ghat for traffic within a week at the latest.
The MD of Navayug has agreed to complete the work on the flyovers at Pumpwell (Mahavir) Circle and at Thokkottu within three months after the end of the current South-West monsoon season, Nalin said. Slow paced work of these flyover projects made Nalin target of concerted opposition criticism and also subjected him to some intense trolling in social media. “We explained the seriousness of the delay in completion of these projects,” he said.
The delegation that had BJP MLAs – S Angara, Harish Poonja, Y Bharath Shetty – also represented to Gadkari the need to abolish toll booths at Brahmarakootlu in B C Road and at Surathkal at entrance of NITK, Nalin said, adding that the minister has agreed to revert to us after examining the legal position on either continuing them or otherwise. The presence of another toll booth at Hejamady close to Surathkal has been a cause for ire of locals.
The minister has also agreed to depute a team to assess the status of damage to the National Highways in the district due to the monsoon once the rain abates, he said. The minister has also agreed to expedite the tender process pertaining to the ring road that connects Mulki-Kateel-Melkar-Thokkottu under Sagarmala project as well take up work of strengthening the road between Shivamogga and Mangaluru via Agumbe Ghat, the MP said.