Construction of the Road Over Bridge (RoB) on the Mangaluru-Mumbai railway line at Pachchanady on Bondel-Vamanjoor Road is almost complete with the railways beginning work on the approach road.
Bondel-Vamanjoor Road is a key stretch connecting the airport road with Mangaluru-Karkala NH 169. Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) recently widened the road and made a carriageway of concrete.
In 2017, the construction wing of Southern Railway had dismantled the 6-metre-wide and 9.25-metre-long old RoB to facilitate line doubling between Mangaluru Junction and Panambur. A temporary level-crossing had been provided about 300 metres to the south of the old RoB.
Construction of the new RoB with a width of 12 metres and length of 27.95 metres at an estimated cost of ₹5 crore was delayed, which irked motorists who had to endure long periods of waiting at the level-crossing as the Mangaluru-Mumbai line is one of the busiest routes. Local MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and other elected representatives had urged the SR to complete the project at the earliest.
Approach road
SR has now undertaken work on approach roads at both ends of the RoB to match the existing concrete Bondel-Vamanjoor Road. While 150 metres of concrete road would be provided on Bondel-side, 100 metres of concrete road would be provided on Vamanjoor side, according to SR.
Work on construction of approach roads for the Railway Over Bridge on Bondel-Pachchanady Road near Mangaluru on Mangaluru-Mumbai railway line has commenced, resulting in closure of the road for traffic up to November 10, 2021.
To facilitate construction of the approach roads, SR has to close the approach roads towards the make-shift level crossing too.
Consequently, it has obtained permission from the Dakshina Kannada district administration to close the stretch of the Bondel-Vamanjoor Road near the RoB from October 10 to November 10.
A release from Palakkad division of SR said light motor vehicles may use the alternative road, via PWD Bund Road originating from Pachchanady and move via Manjalpadey to reach Bondel, and vice versa.
Heavy vehicles, however, have to ply through Kulashekara during this period.
