The Union government has sanctioned Rs. 94 crore for rebuilding the Shiradi Ghat stretch of the Mangalore-Bangalore national highway, said B. Ramanath Rai, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada and Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology.
Addressing presspersons here on Monday, he said that the Centre also sanctioned Rs. 22 crore for service road work between B.C. Road and Surathkal via Maroli.
C. Natraj, Executive Engineer, Mangalore Division of the National Highways, under the State Public Works Department, told The Hindu that bids were invited for rebuilding the 47-km stretch between Gundia and Sakaleshpur in Shiradi Ghat. The contractor would have to complete the project in one-and-half years.
Shriram Mishra, Project Director, Mangalore Project Office, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), under the Union government, which maintains the B.C. Road-Surathkal stretch, told The Hindu that his office was yet to get any communication regarding the government sanctioning Rs. 22 crore.
He said that according to the Rs. 22-crore proposal, service roads along this stretch would be widened wherever free land was available. In many places land was available for widening the service road by 1 m or 1.5m. The proposal did not involve acquisition of additional land or demolition of buildings.
