Samithi objects to setting up toll plaza at Ganjimutt for four-lane Bikarnakatte-Sanoor NH 169 Mangaluru Solapur highway
The Hindu
The Gajimutt toll plaza was located 36 km from Talapady toll plaza and 45 km from the Hejmady toll plaza on Kochi-Panvel NH 66, and was 45 km from the Brahmarakootlu toll plaza on Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75. Thus, it violates the NHAI norm of 60 km distance between two toll plazas, he said.
Members of Surathkal Tollgate Virodhi Horata Samithi and other citizens have objected to the proposed toll plaza on Mangaluru-Solapur National Highway 169, which is being widened into four lanes between Mangaluru and Karkala, during their spot visit to Suralpady near Ganjimutt, near Mangaluru on September 8.
Visiting the construction site, the delegation noted that the toll plaza was located near Suralpady mosque at Ganjimutt, 17 km from Nanthoor Junction in Mangaluru.
“The visit was necessitated in the backdrop of allegations of slow pace of construction, unscientific location of the toll plaza, disorderliness during the work, by local residents and road users,” said Horata Samithi Convener Muneer Katipalla.
Even after many years of commencement of the work, not even 50% of the widening was completed. Moreover, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has not touched the most congested stretch between Nanthoor and Vamanjoor. The unscientific hill cutting work at Kettikal near Vamanjoor has threatened complete collapse of the hillock with residents atop compelled to shift to elsewhere. The Gurupura Kaikamba town was facing the threat of disappearance because of the vehicular overpass.
There were allegations that the bypass to circumvent Gurupura town not only increased the road length by about 5 km, but also was designed to benefit a few real estate tycoons who have purchased land in the locality. The project cost has increased because of this bypass, including the high cost of land acquisition, Mr. Katipalla alleged.
The Gajimutt toll plaza was located 36 km from Talapady toll plaza and 45 km from the Hejmady toll plaza on Kochi-Panvel NH 66, and was 45 km from the Brahmarakootlu toll plaza on Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75. Thus, it violates the NHAI norm of 60 km distance between two toll plazas, he said.
The speed at which the Ganjimutt toll plaza was being constructed gives rise to the suspicion that the NHAI would resort to toll collection without completing the four-lane work between Mangaluru and Karkala.