Restoration work continues on NH 66 at Othinane

Traffic diverted on two internal roads

UDUPI

estoration work was on at the hillock through which the National Highway 66 passes at Othinane village in Udupi district on Tuesday.

Assistant Commissioner Shilpa Nag told

The Hindu that traffic was being allowed to ply on only one lane of the highway at Othinane. Whenever loose hangings of wet soil or rocks were expected to come down during the restoration work, traffic on the highway was being diverted on two small internal roads — the Dombe-Byndoor Road for vehicles moving from Bhatkal to Kundapur and the Muddodi Road for those moving from Kundapur to Bhatkal.

After debris from the hillock was cleared, vehicles were again being allowed to go on one side of the highway. Basically, cars and school buses are being diverted to the internal roads. “The district administration has made it clear that no school buses would be allowed to pass through the national higway at Othinane till it was fully safe,” she said.

While both the internal roads — Dombe Road and Muddodi Road — were narrow and had potholes, the administration had directed the department concerned to get the potholes filled and undertake asphalting wherever required in 10 days. “Since these internal roads are narrow, we are not always allowing 10-wheeler trucks to pass through them,” she said.

Meanwhile, the district administration had on Monday given three days to the contractor — IRB Company — to clear the dangerous over-hangings of loose mud and rocks from the hillock. The restoration work was going on round-the-clock. All the earth-movers were working 24 x 7.

However, if there was heavy rain, the deadline might have to be extended. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and IRB Company had also been told to create drains for the free flow of rainwater by the side of the highway stretch at Othinane.

Another road

In addition, the administration was considering another internal road — the Henberu Road — for diverting traffic. “The idea is to see that there was not too much pressure on the two internal roads,” she said.

“There was no collapse of loose soil and debris from the hillock at Othinane till 6.15 p.m. on Tuesday as there was no heavy rain,” she said.

The district administration has submitted a report on the collapse of soil and debris from the hillock to the State government, Ms. Nag said.