A straight carriageway of almost 4-km length on the four-lane National Highway 66 on which vehicles can attain speed of over 100 kmph abruptly descends at the busy Kota junction in Udupi district thereby making the spot prone to accidents.
Motorists who regularly use the Kundapura-Udupi carriageway know the situation and slow down at the junction, but some newcomers end up hitting the barricades, other vehicles or people crossing the junction, said P. Somashekara, a resident of Kota.
Mr. Somashekara believes that National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should have built the overpass at the junction. The busy Fisheries Road, which also connects Amruteshwari temple on the western side and another road on the eastern side of NH 66, too join the highway at the junction.
Eight accidents and two deaths were reported at Kota junction in 2020, five accidents in 2021, and four so far in 2022. There is no accounting for the mishaps that go unreported, particularly at night. While police keep barricades to restrict vehicular speed before the junction, they get damaged every month after being hit by speeding vehicles. Replacing them is a costly affair as each barricade costs at least ₹5,000.
Nagaraja Puthran, who provides ambulance service in Kota and ferries most of the accident victims to hospitals, said majority of the motorists are ignorant of road etiquette and traffic rules. He says that five minor accidents took place at the junction last month. A small circle at the wide junction could avoid mishaps, he added.
Thekkatte junction too is a danger spot
Thekkatte junction between Kota and Kundapura witnessed four deaths this year with no proper lighting and other safety measures in place, police said. A new driver would not know the existence of the junction until he or she reaches close to the junction, often at high speed.
Moreover, Udupi district police said almost all junctions between Kundapura and Kallianapura-Santhekatte have become black spots.
