Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Dec 20: Nitin Gadkari, union minister of road transport and highways, micro, small and medium enterprises, on Saturday December 19 said that the union government will invest an amount of Rs 1,16,144 crore to augment the road network in Karnataka in coming years.

The amount has been sanctioned to carry out three projects with a view of safety of road users on Shiradi ghat, Charmadi ghat and Sampaje ghat, he said.

Speaking after dedicating 33 National Highway projects worth Rs 10,904 crore covering 1,197 km length in a virtual event held here, Gadkari said that under the Bharatmala and other schemes, as many as 19 works at a cost of Rs 31,035 crore are already under progress.

The minister further said that approval has been given for the detailed project report (DPR) on tunnel work stretching 23.60 km on Shiradi ghat. The estimated cost of this project is Rs 10,000 crore. Bid documents, permission and land acquisition works of the project are in progress.

"Bid document, statutory clearances and land acquisition plans are under progress," he said.

The union minister claimed that with an aim to provide smooth connectivity to the ports for the benefit of trade and economy, the entire coastal road from Goa border to Kerala border connecting the port cities of Belekeri, Karwar and Mangaluru covering a length of 278 km has been taken up at a cost of Rs 3,443 crore and the work has substantially been completed.

He added that the union government aims to improve the safety of road users by providing protective measures on hill slopes on Shiradi Ghat on NH 75, Charmadi Ghat on NH 73 and Sampaje Ghat on NH 275. "All these three works are amounting to Rs 115 crore," he said.

According to Gadkari, three projects of 76 km in Karnataka in Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway, which is identified as one of the priority projects under Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor has been approved and bids are invited.

The union minister also claimed that a final feasibility report on setting up a multimodal logistic park in Muddalingenahalli near Dabaspet in Tumkuru district is expected in February 2021. "This project is aimed to improve the logistics efficiency, thus enabling reduction in logistics cost," he said.

The event was attended by Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, union ministers Prahlad Joshi, Sadanand Gowda, Gen Dr V K Singh and senior officers.

With inputs from IANS