MANGALORE: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has written to the Centre requesting the Central authorities to lay a concrete road for the entire length of the Shiradi Ghat on National Highway 48 (Mangalore-Bangalore), according to official sources in the National Highway Division, Mangalore.

Damage

Stating that overloaded trucks and tankers had damaged national highways under the Mangalore division of the National Highway, the sources told The Hindu that unless the authorities concerned looked into the issue, the highways (48, 17 and 13) under the division would be damaged.

Overloaded trucks were not only damaging the bitumen layers but also damaging the foundation of the road. In many parts of the highway, near Mulky, Padubidri and Udupi on National Highway 17 and at Nelyadi and Kalladkka on National Highway 48, the carriageway has sunk by nearly three inches owing to damage to the foundation.

Major damage to the highway can also be seen in Shiradi Ghat owing to the movement of overloaded trucks. The situation worsens during the rainy season because of saturation.

The extent of damage has increased with regular movement of trucks transporting iron-ore fines to the port, sources said. According to them, B.R. Srinivasmurthy, a scientist from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, inspected the National Highway 48 at Shiradi Ghat sometime ago. They said his report said the only feasible solution to the problem was to lay a concrete pavement on the highway in the Ghat section. This would cost nearly Rs. 100 crore. The sources said contractors were reluctant to work on the Shiradi Ghat section.

Though work worth Rs. 1.60 crore was sanctioned for asphalting a 10-km stretch of the highway in Shiradi Ghat recently, it could not be carried out as no contractor responded even after three tender calls.

A modified proposal has been submitted to the Government for asphalting the stretches in the Ghat section.

The division has submitted an estimate of Rs. 9.30 crore to the Government .

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