Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Nov 7: Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner (DC), V Ponnuraj, informed on Friday November 6, that the road from Central Market in the city to Durgamahall in Mannagudda will be converted into four-lane, 50 feet road. This is being done to provide an alternative road to K S Rao Road, which witnesses heavy traffic in all times of the day.
"In the first phase, the road from Temple Square to Srinivasa Talkies will be widened. Widening work of this stretch has been pending since many years. There was a proposal to widen the road to 60 feet, but as this will leave no space for the footpath, the road will be widened to 50 feet, by providing five-feet footpaths on both the sides,” he explained and said that marking for the same has been completed on Friday.
Ponnuraj said that most of the people in Car Street have agreed to the proposal to widen the road, but a few have not concurred. Therefore, a few businessmen will be accommodated in the Flower Market in Car Street on temporary basis. If the road is widened, it will also be advantageous to the merchants, he said.
The other stretch proposed to be widened is near the Hampankatta Signal Circle. A plan to widen the road from Arvind Motors to the Signal Circle has been drafted. The building owners have given positive response for this proposal. If everything goes on as planned, this road will be a three-lane one, he added. He clarified that signal lights will be reset to enable the pedestrians to cross the roads on all the four sides, at a time. These will be purely temporary measures, as it is felt that fly over will be the only lasting solution to the traffic chaos at this circle, he felt.
He revealed that except K S Rao Road, in all other cases where road concreting is going on, tenders have been floated for the laying of footpaths. In the case of K S Rao Road, tenders will be called as soon as some pending works are completed, he clarified.
He reiterated his determination to take steps against shops having been set up in parking lots of buildings, parking of vehicles on foot paths, etc., in phases.