The Hindu

All of them except the one coming up at Kuntikana will be one-way 

• Surathkal flyover not to be made two-way
• Underpasses to be built to facilitate pedestrian movement

Mangalore, Dec 26: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that has taken up work on the four-laning of national highways between Surathkal and B.C. Road will construct seven flyovers between the two destinations, according to sources in the NHAI here.

They will be built at Surathkal, Kulur, Kottara Chowki, Kuntikana, Nanthoor, Maroli and B.C. Road. In Surathkal and Kulur, traffic will be allowed from Udupi towards Mangalore. In Kottara Chowki, vehicles will be allowed from Mangalore to Udupi. Traffic will be allowed two-ways on the Kuntikana flyover.

Sources said that vehicles would be allowed to ply from Moodbidri and B.C. Road towards Udupi on the Nanthoor flyover. Traffic from Mangalore to B.C. Road would pass over the Maroli flyover. Vehicles coming from Bangalore would be allowed to go to Mangalore through the B.C. Road flyover. Except the Kuntikana flyover, that will be a two-way flyover, the remaining flyovers would be one-way.

Asked if the NHAI would change the design of the Surathkal flyover to ensure two-way traffic as demanded by various organizations recently, an authority of the NHAI told The Hindu that it would not be changed.

The authority said that two underpasses would be provided at Surathkal, one near the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka (NIT-K) and the other near Vidyadayini school.

A two-way flyover would require more funds and would result in escalation of the project cost.

"If people demand two-way flyovers at all seven places, the project cost would go up drastically. Instead providing underpasses wherever required was a feasible solution. The NHAI cannot build two-way flyovers by succumbing to `popular demand' of the people. The agency has taken a decision on the design of flyovers taking all aspects into consideration," the authority said.

According to sources, another underpass would be built at Baikampady. They said that three minor bridges would be built on National Highway 48 and two minor bridges would be constructed on National Highway 17. In addition to this, three railway bridges would be built to complete the four-lane works.

Sources said that once the four-lane works were completed, two toll collection gates would be provided on the highways, one near New Mangalore Port on National Highway 17 and the other near Brahmarakutlu on National Highway 48.