Ending months of ordeal for truck operators, the Dakshina Kannada administration on Wednesday announced that all kinds of vehicles, including trucks, can ply via Shiradi Ghat — the crucial link on National Highway 75 connecting Bengaluru and the coast.
The district in-charge Minister, in a release, said he had held discussions with deputy commissioners of Dakshina Kannada and Hassan on the issue. Both the administrations have opined that the ghat, stretches of which had witnessed landslips during the August torrential rains, are now safe to allow heavy goods vehicles.
Accordingly, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner S. Sasikanth Senthil passed an order on Wednesday. He said agencies concerned have executed necessary safety works.
The stretch was initially closed for traffic between January and July this year to facilitate concreting the 13-km stretch between Kempu Hole guest house in Hassan district and Adda Hole in Dakshina Kannada district. The remaining 13-km stretch between Maranahalli and Kempu Hole guest house was concreted in 2015.
No sooner had the ghat been opened for traffic in mid-July, it was closed in August second week following landslips in at least 12 locations along the stretch, including two at Doddatappale and Anemahal in Sakleshpur taluk.
Light motor vehicles were allowed to move via Shiradi Ghat from September 5 while passenger buses were allowed from October 3. Meanwhile, truck operators were mounting pressure on the administration to allow traffic as they have been incurring huge costs plying on alternative routes.
The National Highways Division of State PWD and the National Highways Authority of India are yet to take up permanent restoration works of strengthening damaged river embankments and other landslips.
