SHIVAMOGGA: Following Shivamogga deputy commissioner’s announcement to ban the movement of heavy vehicles along Tirthahalli-Kundapura stretch of the state highway, almost all ‘Ghat’ routes connecting Mangaluru and Kerala are now closed to them.State Highway 52 between Tirthahalli and Kundapura had been witnessing dense traffic following the recent ban of heavy vehicles on Shiradi and Charmadi Ghats.
With heavy vehicles carrying goods to Mangaluru, Kerala and other coastal places plying on Shiradi Ghat, Charmadi Ghat and Sampanje Ghat, traffic there had gone into complete disarray.“With heavy rains battering the Hulikal region, roads were getting frequently damaged. Added to this was the additional burden of the increased number of heavy vehicles,” said K A Dayananda, deputy commissioner.
The DC also told The New Indian Express that flooding in Shivamogga, and heavy rains in the Hulikal Ghat region were reasons why the movement of heavy vehicles was banned. Vehicles travelling from Kerala and Mangaluru ends were moving via Kundapura-Bajegoli-Karkala-Koppa-N R Pura-Hosanagr-Sringeri-Tirthahalli Crossing-Balebare Ghat (Hulikal) and heading towards Bengaluru, Davangere and Hassan. Vehicles along the Mangaluru-Udupi-Kudregmukh-Dakshin Kannada Border-Sringeri-Tirthahalli route while crossing Agumbe Ghat travel towards Davangere.