Road cracks hit traffic

Movement of vehicles from Mangalore to Mysore via Madikeri came to a halt on Monday with the deepening of cracks on a 50m-stretch on Mysore-Mani State highway at Koinad between Madikeri in Kodagu and Sullia in Dakshina Kannada.

Buses and heavy vehicles had been barred from plying on this stretch in Kodagu for the past seven days after the road developed cracks. Cars and two-wheelers had been allowed on one portion of the road. On Sunday, buses were allowed on a trial basis.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Madikeri Raju G. Mong said that no vehicles were being allowed to ply between Madikeri and Sullia. A part of the State highway at Koinad in Kodagu has caved in by half a foot, he said.

“A huge tree fell on the road at Koinad on Sunday resulting in widening and deepening of the cracks. The police on Monday stopped movement of all vehicles,” KSRTC Puttur Divisional Traffic Officer Ramanagowda told

The Hindu over phone.

He said that for the past one week, 48 KSRTC buses from Puttur division, in Dakshina Kannada, proceeding to Madikeri and Mysore have been taking passengers only up to Deverakolla near Koinad. Passengers then cross the unmotorable 200 m stretch on foot and board buses waiting for them, to Madikeri and Mysore, Mr. Ramanagowda said.

Madikeri Special Correspondent reports:

Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kodagu, G. Prabhu inspected the damaged road in the afternoon and said that a team of experts from the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) from Bangalore, which had laid the road several years ago, would visit the spot on Tuesday to take stock of the situation.