While thousands of road users commuting through National Highway 66 between Kuloor and Baikampady in Mangaluru are fed up with ever-expanding craters on the stretch, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) appears to be looking the other way.
The stretch falls under NHAI’s Port Connectivity Project — BC Road (NH 75) to Surathkal (NH 66), a total distance of 37.6 km. While portions of the highway between BC Road and Padil are in somewhat good condition, the condition of the stretch between Nanthoor and NITK, Surathkal (NH 66), has remained pathetic for long.
Road users’ misery begins right from NH 75 junction with NH 66 at Nanthoor Junction where the bitumen cover has almost become invisible thereby slowing down vehicular movement. The carriageway from Kottara to KPT Junction too is filled with craters.
However, road users are always in for an experience of lifetime when they are travelling on the stretch between Kuloor and Baikampady, a distance of about 4 km. The stretch passes through some major establishments of Mangaluru, including New Mangalore Port Trust, Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers and the Baikampady Industrial Area. The entire stretch has developed wide gaps while the bitumen surface has completely worn out near NMPT Junction and Panambur Beach Junction.
Parameshwarappa, a truck driver who often drives to the industrial area, said that driving to Mangaluru has become an arduous task now. He has to drive the vehicle cautiously so as no damage is caused either to the vehicle or to the goods it is carrying, he said.
Sankamma, who runs a petty shop on the stretch, said that her business has severely been affected because of the huge amount of dust emanating from the damaged road stretch. “I don’t get many customers these days,” she said.
While many cyclists from Mangaluru prefer this stretch to reach Surathkal and beyond, their numbers too have dwindled. “We ride to remain fit; but riding through Kuloor-Baikampady amid clouds of dust adversely affects our health,” said Venugopal, a regular rider.
The pathetic condition of the road stretch has also had an impact on operation of inter-city express buses. “We take at least 15 minutes extra to negotiate the stretch,” said Ramesh Bhandari, driver with a private express bus.
