The Shiradi Ghat stretch of the National Highway 75 is expected to be opened for vehicular movement in August this year. Officials of the National Highways division of Public Works Department on Monday divulged this information to residents, who were staging a protest at Sakleshpur, taking serious exception to the delay in completing the project. The work on the project was launched in January after closing the stretch for vehicular traffic. Since then, the vehicles have been taking alternative routes.
According to the Public Works Department officials, the work should have been completed by now and the stretch opened for vehicular movement by first week of June. Apprehensive about the quality of the ongoing construction work during rainy season, the protesters demanded that the work be stopped immediately and the stretch opened for vehiclular traffic.
C. Mruthyunjaya Swamy, Chief Engineer of the National Highways Division of PWD, who met the protesters, said that the work was sanctioned with the period of 18 months. As per the schedule, the contractor had time till November this year for completing the work. However, considering the fact that the stretch is a major access to Mangaluru and Bengaluru, the contractor was asked to complete the work in five months. “The work has been delayed due to unseasonal rain in April and May. Otherwise, the work would have been completed by now.
The official assured the protesters that the stretch would be opened for vehicles by August this year. “ Work on laying concrete will be completed by June-end. One more month’s time would be required for the concrete set in. By August we will open the stretch for vehicles”, he said.
Vehicles plying on alternative routes since January, when the work began on the stretch
The project was originally scheduled for completion within five months of commencement
