Karnataka would request National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to provide entries and exits to the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway at key towns en route viz. Ramanagaram, Channapatna, Maddur and Mandya, the government assured the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
After JD(S) MLC Marithibbe Gowda raised the issue in the Legislative Council during Question Hour and complained against the absence of entries and exits to key towns on the expressway, Minister for Public Works C.C. Patil said the expressway was access-controlled and meant to connect the two cities of Bengaluru and Mysuru.
When Mr. Gowda sought to know how the State government can be a silent spectator to the denial of access to the highway to the very people from Mandya and Ramanagaram districts, who had sacrificed their lands for the project, Mr Patil said he would submit a request to the NHAI for entries and exits at suitable points on the expressway. But, he also hastened to add that he was not sure if the request will be accepted.
Mr Gowda said the people of Mandya, Maddur, Channapatna and Ramanagaram had to travel long distances to use the expressway. So, entries and exits should be provided at suitable places for their convenience.
Quality of work
Mr. Patil said the NHAI had informed the State government that a third party assessment of the expressway had vouched for the quality of work on the project.
Referring to the water logging on portions of the expressway, Mr Patil said the situation had arisen due to heavy rains during August this year when the water overflowed from the lakes and entered the highway. He said steps were taken to clear encroachments of the stormwater drains to address the problem.
Also, he said the NHAI had made it clear that the construction of the highway was “not unscientific” as alleged in certain quarters. Referring to Mr. Gowda’s allegation that the expressway was uneven at certain places, Mr Patil promised to have the road inspected.
Inspection by Gadkari
He said Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inspect the expressway on January 5 and invited Mr. Gowda to join them during the inspection.
The 117.3 km-long expressway, with a main carriageway of six lanes and two service roads of two lanes each on either side, between Bengaluru and Mysuru had been constructed in two packages at a cost of ₹4,473.5 crore. The project is scheduled for completion on February 27, 2023, he said.
