Shobha Karandlaje, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, said on Wednesday that a flyover would be constructed on National Highway 66 at the Ambalpady Junction here after conducting a feasibility study.
There were protests demanding a vehicle underpass at the Ambalpady Junction a couple of weeks ago. The National Highways Department on March 14 made it clear that an at-grade-level road would be constructed at the junction with sufficient facilities to decongest the traffic such as installation of signal lights, rumbler stripes and barricades. Addressing presspersons here, Ms. Karandlaje said that for the present, an at-grade-level road would be constructed at Ambalpady Junction. But as a future measure, a flyover would be constructed there. However, this flyover would not be in the direction of Mangaluru-Kundapur Road, instead it would be in the direction of Brahmagiri-Ambalpady Road.
The public demand for an underpass too would be considered. She would ask the engineers of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to conduct a feasibility study on all available alternatives and suggest proposals. The less costly proposal would be taken up at Ambalpady Junction.
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There was public opposition to the way the road on NH 66 had been constructed at the Brahmavar bus stand. Besides Brahmavar, there were some other spots on NH 66 in Udupi district, which were causing problems to people. She would ask the Road Safety Committee of NHAI to visit these spots and find a solution. Emphasis would also be given to construct the Malpe-Tirthahalli National Highway 169A as soon as possible. She would also urge the NHAI to widen the Charmadi Ghat and to concrete it fully. This would provide a better connectivity between Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts.
This ghat road would then be an alternative to the Shiradi Ghat Road connecting Mangaluru with Bengaluru. The Shiradi Ghat road was prone to problems and road repairs every year, she said.
She had also recommended the inclusion of Hejmady village in Udupi district for the construction of a port under the Sagarmala project of the Union government, she said.
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