Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jan 12: The long-delayed construction of the six-lane bridge at Kuloor is expected to be completed before the onset of the monsoon this year, according to assurances given by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). However, for this assurance to turn into reality, the pace of work needs to be stepped up immediately. If the project is not completed by June, it is likely to be delayed by another year.
The bridge is being constructed across the Phalguni river on National Highway 66 at Kuloor, between the two existing old bridges. The contract for the project has been awarded to Pune-based Shinde Developers. The work order was issued in April 2021, and the project was originally scheduled for completion by October 2022. However, the construction has been delayed by nearly three years. Shinde Developers, which had earlier faced financial difficulties, has now resumed work after stabilising its finances, though the progress is yet to gather the required momentum.
At present, the project involves the construction of a total of six piers. Work on the pier caps at the top of the piers is underway. Of these, five pier caps have been completed, while work on the sixth pier cap is still pending. NHAI officials have stated that this remaining work is expected to be completed within the next few days.
Once the pier caps are completed, girders will be launched over them. A total of 60 girders for the bridge have already been fabricated and are currently stored at the Baikampady yard.
The total width of the new bridge will be 41 metres. It will include a 28-metre-wide main carriageway with six lanes, along with a service road. After traffic begins on the new bridge, vehicular movement on the existing old arch bridge will be restricted and the bridge will be permanently closed. Alongside the old bridge, a new service road and footpath will also be developed, running adjacent to the new bridge.
However, the construction of the service road will be taken up only after completion of the main carriageway, as pipeline relocation work is required along the side of the old bridge.
It is learnt that Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta recently held discussions with NHAI officials regarding the project and urged them to complete the remaining works within four months. Officials have also conveyed to both the authorities and the contractor that the project must be completed before the onset of the monsoon.
The service road will have a width of 14 metres. The project commenced on April 12, 2021, and was originally slated for completion by October 11, 2022. The revised expected completion date has now been set as May 31, 2026.
The new sixth-lane bridge will connect to the highway near the old NMPT lighthouse on the Panambur highway side, while on the other end it will connect after taking a turn towards the flyover.
Abdulla Javed Azmi, project director, NHAI said that girder launching work is still pending and is expected to take around four months. “Contractors have been instructed to carry out the work at an accelerated pace,” he said.