Shiradi Ghat opens, but buses must wait for 15 days

The ordeal of road users travelling between the coastal districts and Bengaluru did not end even after the opening of Shiradi Ghat road on Sunday, as the district administration has decided to bar heavy vehicles, including buses, on the stretch for the next 15 days.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Minister for Urban Development U T Khader on Sunday. Only two-wheelers, four-wheelers and vans will be allowed on the stretch for the next 15 days.

The work on shoulders and retaining walls is pending on the 12.38-km stretch from Kemphole to Addahole. The contractor Ocean Construction India Pvt Ltd has been asked to complete the pending work within 15 days, said Khader.

The meeting also decided to install CCTV cameras with sensors to restrict the speed limit to 60 km per hour on the road.

With curbs still in place, heavy vehicles between Mangaluru and Bengaluru have to continue using alternative routes — via Madikeri (Sampaje Ghat) or Kottigehara (Charmadi Ghat).

Earlier, Dakshina Kannada DC Sasikanth Senthil said 12 batches of labourers are working on the shoulders and retaining walls on the stretch. The contractor is completing 450 metres of guard walls per day.

In fact, a portion of a retaining wall on the stretch had collapsed on Saturday night following heavy rain.

The demand to open Shiradi Ghat had gathered pace after the landslide on Charmadi Ghat, which blocked the road for more than 12 hours in June. Phase I, a 13.62-km road of Shiradi Ghat was concreted in 2015.

On hearing the news of the inauguration of Shiradi Ghat, a large number of vehicles had arrived on the road and had piled up from Addahole. The police had a tough time controlling traffic. After the inauguration, all the vehicles including buses, cars, and containers were allowed to use the road after 3 pm.

Precautionary measure

Earlier, inaugurating the stretch, PWD Minister H D Revanna said the DCF of Hassan division has been directed to fell trees that are in danger of being uprooted on Shiradi Ghat, to ensure the safety of travellers.

He said he has directed the forest department to clear all national highway work within a month in the state. In case of problems in land acquisition, it will be sorted out by revenue officials at the earliest. The work on the Bengaluru-Mysuru road will be taken up within a month and will be completed within two years, he said.