MLA warns NHAI of agitation if NH 75 isn’t motorable by mid-Feb

Expressing serious displeasure over the slow pace of Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway 75 widening work between Kalladka and Uppinangady, Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai on Saturday, cautioned the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) against taking people’s silence for granted.

Expressing serious displeasure over the slow pace of Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway 75 widening work between Kalladka and Uppinangady, Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai on Saturday, cautioned the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) against taking people’s silence for granted.

“If at least one of the two carriageways is not made motorable by mid-February, we will launch an agitation and hold a rally,” he told officials from the NHAI and the contractor during an inspection of the project highway. The NHAI is widening NH75 to a four-lane road between B.C. Road and Paryashanthi through contractor KNR Constructions and Pariyashanthi to Addahole through contractor S.M. Autade Pvt. Ltd.

The MLA expressed surprise that there were very few workers seen at the site in Kalladka and Mani, the two crucial parts of NH 75 widening between B.C. Road and Periyashanthi. While most of the work was still pending, progress has also been quite slow, Mr. Rai told the officials. He said that overall, the execution of the work has been quite tardy and people had no more patience to suffer further at the hands of executing agencies.

At Uppinangady, Mr. Rai directed the NHAI to immediately work on providing the approach road to Sahasralingeshwara Temple and constructing a retaining wall for the highway embankment. The old bridge, that falls under the Karnataka Public Works Department, could be used for vehicular parking and movement of light motor vehicles, Mr. Rai said.

The MLA was echoing the sentiments of road users and residents of the area around the project highway from B.C. Road to Addahole, a distance of about 63 km. The Hindu had, in these columns in the second week of January, reported that people were sceptical about opening of the completed highway stretch before the onset of the monsoon this year. M/s KNR Constructions however was confident about completing 90% of the work and providing through carriageway pending road furniture work by April 2025.