MANGALURU: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday told the Lok Sabha that the proposed green tunnel bypass through Shiradi Ghat on Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway 75 is not viable, and instead, he has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for a four-lane road on the 26-km ghat stretch.
He was answering a question on the present status of Shiradi Ghat posed by Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel. The minister said, “Construction of tunnels in Shiradi Ghat section involves huge investment as well as difficulties in execution of work, and may not be viable.” The ministry has decided to develop the existing two-lane road to four-lane configuration, with improvement in the geometrics by providing suitable retaining structures. NHAI has already engaged a DPR consultant and the report is in progress, Gadkari added.
The tunnel bypass project was initially proposed about eight years ago. Gadkari, during his visit to Mangaluru in February, had announced that the bypass project would take off soon, entailing an expenditure of about Rs 14,000 crore. The bypass was supposed to include six tunnels and seven bridges, thereby reducing travel time by about an hour. At present, it takes about 9-10 hours for a journey between Bengaluru and Mangaluru, with the existing highway between Sakleshpur and Maranahalli in Hassan district being in a dilapidated condition.
The 26-km concrete ghat road was severely affected by heavy rain in 2018 and 2019, with the embankment of Kempu Hole collapsing in at least 21 locations.