Karnataka govt approves DPR preparation for four-laning of Mani-Sampaje highway

Mangaluru: The Karnataka state government has now granted approval for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of the Mani-Sampaje road (National Highway-275) into a four-lane highway, said Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta.

Chowta had appealed to Minister of Public Works Satish Jarkiholi during his visit to Mangaluru to initiate necessary measures for upgrading the Mani-Sampaje highway to a four-lane road.

Responding swiftly to this request, PWD has approved the appointment of consultants for preparing the DPR for widening the 71.60- km stretch from Mani to Sampaje. Additionally, an order has been issued approving the allocation of Rs 3.19 crore to be borne as agency costs. With this, the tender process for selecting an agency to prepare the DPR will begin soon, paving the way for the four-lane expansion of the Mani-Sampaje highway.

Commending the PWD’s response, Capt Chowta highlighted that several key national highways in the Dakshina Kannada district, including BC Road-Adahole and Punjalakatte-Charmadi, are already undergoing upgradation. He expressed happiness over the approval granted by the PWD to the Chief Engineer of the National Highways for upgrading yet another important highway in the district.

The Mani-Sampaje highway is a crucial national highway connecting Dakshina Kannada with Madikeri and Mysuru. Its development will significantly ease connectivity to Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, Mangalore Port, and Mangalore Airport, boosting trade and commercial activities in the district. With the PWD’s approval for DPR preparation, a major hurdle in converting the highway into a four-lane road has been removed. Capt Chowta assured that with the cooperation of local MLAs, the subsequent processes would be expedited, ensuring the long-awaited development of the Mani-Sampaje highway.

Long pending proposal

It was a long pending demand for upgrading the Mani-Sampaje highway into a four-lane road under the Mangaluru division of NH-275. However, a proposal submitted in 2022 regarding the DPR had been stalled for various reasons. As there was no progress on the previous proposal, Capt Chowta took the initiative to resubmit a fresh proposal to the National Highways Department in January this year.