The Hindu Business Line : 4-lane road project in Mangalore likely to be completed in 30 months

WORK on the conversion of 37.5 km stretch of road — connecting New Mangalore Port to Surathkal on NH 17 and B.C. Road junction on NH 48 — to four-lane under the port connectivity programme of the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) began in Mangalore on Thursday with the Union Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Mr K.H. Muniyappa, laying the foundation stone for the project.

The Union Government has initiated steps for providing four-lane road connectivity to major ports in the country under the port connectivity programme of the NHDP.

Work on the Rs 196.50-crore New Mangalore Port connectivity project, which has been awarded to Ircon International Ltd, is likely to be completed in 30 months. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in association with New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), is implementing the project through the New Mangalore Port Road Company Ltd.

Laying the foundation stone here, Mr Muniyappa said the road would reduce the travel time substantially. Added to this, the new road will help save around 30 per cent of petrol and diesel. The new road with a carriageway width of 7.25 metre will have seven flyovers, he said.

The Union Government is examining the viability of converting 194 km stretch on Bijpaur-Hospet sector on NH 13 to four-lane, and a survey is being taken up in this regard. Since NMPT gets most of the iron ore cargo from Bellary-Hospet region, survey on converting Hospet-Mangalore sector to a four-lane one will also be taken up, he said.

CRF works: Roads, other than national highways are taken up for development under the Central Road Fund (CRF), Economic Importance Scheme and Interstate Connectivity Scheme. Under CRF, works to the tune of Rs 404.43 crore have been sanctioned to Karnataka, he said.

An amount of Rs 43.83 crore has been sanctioned under the Economic Importance Scheme, and works are being implemented. Under the Interstate Connectivity Scheme, eight works are being implemented. An amount of Rs 14.12 crore has been sanctioned for these works, he added.

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