The demand for road safety measures to avoid accidents on the National Highway 75 passing through Hassan district has finally received a positive response from the National Highways Authority of India. The authority has proposed road safety measures, including service roads, underpasses and bypass at a cost of ₹240 crore.
Residents of Channarayapatna and neighbouring villages had staged several protests whenever an accident took place, killing motorists, on the highway for past three-four years.
The Hassan district administration had also conducted a special meeting with officers of the NHAI to convey the public opinion on the necessity of road safety measures.
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Ravi D. Channanavar, when he was SP of Hassan, had conducted a special study on the lack of road safety measures and its impact on travellers.
The report said that on an average one person died every day in the accidents on the highway.
In fact, the police had filed a FIR against the NHAI in connection for its ‘negligence’ following an accident on the outskirts of Channarayapatna in December 2013.
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H.D. Revanna, Holenarasipur MLA, in a press conference here recently, said that the NHAI had proposed the road safety works in view of the appeal by the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.
“The works will be taken up soon and expected to be completed before Mahamastakabhisheka scheduled for next year,” he said. The NHAI has proposed to widen the Channarayapatna by-pass into four-lane, construct eight fly-overs at Kadabahalli, Baraguru Handpost, Shettihalli Nuggehalli Road Cross, Boovanahalli near Hassan, Mysuru Road Junction, Arakalgudu Road Cross and Devarayapatna Corss. According to an official in NHAI, the Union government had given in-principle approval for these works.
The NHAI is expected to take up preparation of detail project reports and allot works through a tender process soon.
As there is no need for acquisition of additional land for these works, the authority is confident of completing them within a short period.