Vehicles from Kasaragod will soon ‘fly over’ Pumpwell

Service roads will be built before starting work on overpass

The flyover over Pumpwell Circle will be 600m long and 24m wide and allowtwo-way traffic towards Kasaragod and Udupi. Photo: R. Eswarraj

The appealing look of Mahaveera Circle at Pumpwell is set to change as a two-way flyover will come up over it shortly.

The petty shops close to the highway have been shifted a little further away demolishing of portions of a private building has begun.

According to Shriram Mishra, Project Director, Mangalore Office of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), service roads would be built first and work on constructing the flyover would be taken up later.

He said that the 600m-long and 24m-wide flyover would allow two-way traffic towards Kasaragod and Udupi. The traffic in other directions would move under the flyover, which would be 5.5m high from the ground level. There would be three openings, each 30m wide, below the flyover.

The service roads on both the sides below the flyover would be 6m wide.

They would provide connectivity to the flyover from both the sides. The kalasha at the Circle (installed in 2003) would be removed for constructing the flyover.

The flyover is part of Kundapur-Talapady highway widening project (leaving the stretch between Nanthoor Circle and Surathkal which has been widened).

The National Highways Authority of India has taken up the widening work under phase III of the National Highways Development Project on build, operate and transfer basis.

Netravathi bridge

He said that work on building a parallel bridge across the Nethravati at Jeppinamogaru would be over in two weeks. Later, traffic would be allowed on it and repair of the existing bridge would be taken up.

Mr. Mishra said that of the 90km-long stretch, 20 km four-lane highway was now ready. Another 30km-long four-lane was ready but for top layer asphalting. “We are aiming at completing 75 per cent of the work before this monsoon,” he said.

Mr. Mishra said that two vehicular underpass would be built at Karavali Junction and Ambalpady – both in Udupi. He said that technical consultants have been appointed to prepare the sketches of an underpass proposed to be built at Nanthoor Circle and widen the service roads between Surathkal and B.C. Road.