Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Nov 4: Nanthoor circle happens to be one of the most dense and dangerous circles in the city. The overpass project at this circle which was proposed, continues to languish in files because of the lack of willpower among the officials and the people's representatives.
It has been several years since the proposal for the overpass here was sent to the union ministry for surface transport. In the evenings and mornings every day, huge traffic blockages happen here, and people get caught for hours together. This is also an accident zone. Therefore, the government had been approached with a request to provide relief from this situation. However there are no signs about this demand getting the light of the day.
The people who have been demanding for an overpass or flyover have witnessed that the proposal has been endorsed by the city corporation council's general session, quarterly Karnataka Development Programme meetings, and the meetings relating to highways in which people's representatives raise this demand. The people feel that none of these leaders have shown the grit to persistently follow the file till it is sanctioned.
When the highway work was undertaken between Surathkal and B C Road, there was a proposal to build an overbridge here. In 2007, the problem of land acquisition arose and the highways authority dropped the plan. The district administration later acquired the land but Ircon International Limited, which had bagged the contract, refused to execute the work as cost had steeply escalated.
The experts opine that the overbridge does not suit Nanthoor. As such, the overpass was felt to be suitable. For the overpass, a project report of Rs 40 crore was sent to the centre in 2013 but it is awaiting approval even now. As per the plan, vehicles moving on national highway from the direction of Udupi take an overpass from near Padua high school and reach near Sandesha foundation after which they move towards Kerala. Vehicles coming from Bikarnakatte move on the current road as usual.