National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will come up with two more options for widening the National Highway No. 66 (formerly NH 17) at Mulky.
This is in addition to three options it has given to Dakshina Kannada district administration on March 11, 2011.
The latest development follows a meeting between the NHAI officials, district administration officials, and some elected representatives at Mulky on June 20 to resolve an issue over widening the highway at Mulky.
Earlier, the NHAI had given three options after the local people opposed the construction of bypass at Mulky. P.N. Gawasane, Project Director, NHAI, Mangalore, told The Hindu that the authority would give two more options as suggested by the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada N.S. Channappa Gowda at the meeting.
The two options would keep the width (right of way) of the highway at Mulky at 45 metres.
Mr. Gawasane said that this option could not be implemented without land acquisition. The new options entailed demolition of some buildings in the town.
The five options would include constructing a 1.9-km 60-metre wide bypass as originally planned with the design for 100 km speed an hour.
Of the remaining four options, three would be on widening the highway to 45 metres width with the design 80 km speed an hour and the other option would be widening it to 60 metres width with the design 80 km speed an hour, he said.
Meanwhile, Navayuga Udupi Tollway Pvt. Ltd. (NUTPL) which is widening the Kundapur-Surathkal stretch of the highway has laid a temporary road overnight near Mulky where a hillock slipped on Saturday causing traffic congestion .
Vehicles were seen plying on lanes separated by a median on Sunday. At the same time workers of the company with earth movers were seen removing earth slipped on one side of the highway.
