<p>The Surathkal toll gate would be merged with the one at Hejamadi within a month, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) project director Linge Gowda said.</p>.<p>According to Gowda, who was speaking at the meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (Disha), the toll plaza at Surathkal—located about 19 km from Mangalore city—will be removed from NH 66, once the merge was complete.</p>.<p>The decision to merge the two toll gates at Surathkal and Hejamadi was taken as several organisations, and the public in general, had wanted the Surathkal toll booth removed. Organisations like Surathkal Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samithi had demanded the closure of the toll plaza at Surathkal for the past several years.</p>.<p>The Samithi had even organised a series of protests against the Surathkal toll plaza. The biggest point of contention was that the distance between Surathkal and Hejamadi toll plaza was just over 10 km and thus caused massive inconvenience to daily commuters.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-districts/pm-modi-to-inaugurate-projects-in-mangaluru-on-september-2-1138560.html" target="_blank">PM Modi to inaugurate projects in Mangaluru on September 2</a></strong></p>.<p>The traffic snarl issue would be resolved once the two toll gates were merged, Gowda stated.</p>.<p>The Surathkal toll plaza was made operational as per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008, notified on December 5, 2008.</p>.<p><strong>Vehicular overpass at KPT Junction</strong></p>.<p>It was also decided that a “vehicular overpass” would be built at the KPT Junction, Gowda said at the meeting. It will be from Kadri Police Station Road towards ITI Road. The NH 66 will be below the vehicular overpass. The estimated cost of the project would be Rs 25 crore, he said, and added that the contract for the project was already awarded after the due tender process.</p>.<p>Gowda also announced a proposal to construct a vehicular overpass at Nanthoor Junction. The proposal was likely to be approved within a month, and the estimated cost of the project was Rs 22 crore.</p>.<p><strong>Four lanes of road from Addahole to B C Road</strong></p>.<p>Giving the status update about the work on stretch of road between Addahole and B C Road, the project director said that it was broken into two batches—for the stretch from Periyashanthi to Bantwal that covered about 48 km and for the stretch from Periyashanthi to Addahole that covered about 15 km on NH 75.</p>.<p>Gowda also informed at the meeting that about 48 per cent of the work of retaining walls of the bridges—as a part of expansion to four-lane—was completed on the stretch.</p>.<p>He said that the rebuilding of the road from Addahole to Periyashanthi will be completed by December 2023 and that from Periyashanthi to B C Road will be finished by March 2024.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/dc-clamps-prohibitory-order-in-kodagu-from-august-24-1138465.html" target="_blank">DC clamps prohibitory order in Kodagu from August 24</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Potholes repair work in district</strong></p>.<p>The Disha meeting was chaired by Dakshin Kannada member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel, who directed the officials concerned to take up the task of filling potholes in the district. Gowda told Kateel that the potholes on the highway, as well as the general maintenance of the roads would be taken up in September.</p>.<p>Gowda also said that the general road maintenance and repair work would be completed within a month if the rains stop. According to Gowda, about 40 per cent of the construction of Kuloor bridge was completed on NH 66. The service road at Brahmarakootlu toll plaza will be completed shortly, he said.</p>.<p>Zilla Parishad CEO Dr Kumar, mayor Premananda Shetty, and additional district collector Krishnamurthy were also present at the meeting.</p>
<p>The Surathkal toll gate would be merged with the one at Hejamadi within a month, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) project director Linge Gowda said.</p>.<p>According to Gowda, who was speaking at the meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (Disha), the toll plaza at Surathkal—located about 19 km from Mangalore city—will be removed from NH 66, once the merge was complete.</p>.<p>The decision to merge the two toll gates at Surathkal and Hejamadi was taken as several organisations, and the public in general, had wanted the Surathkal toll booth removed. Organisations like Surathkal Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samithi had demanded the closure of the toll plaza at Surathkal for the past several years.</p>.<p>The Samithi had even organised a series of protests against the Surathkal toll plaza. The biggest point of contention was that the distance between Surathkal and Hejamadi toll plaza was just over 10 km and thus caused massive inconvenience to daily commuters.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-districts/pm-modi-to-inaugurate-projects-in-mangaluru-on-september-2-1138560.html" target="_blank">PM Modi to inaugurate projects in Mangaluru on September 2</a></strong></p>.<p>The traffic snarl issue would be resolved once the two toll gates were merged, Gowda stated.</p>.<p>The Surathkal toll plaza was made operational as per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008, notified on December 5, 2008.</p>.<p><strong>Vehicular overpass at KPT Junction</strong></p>.<p>It was also decided that a “vehicular overpass” would be built at the KPT Junction, Gowda said at the meeting. It will be from Kadri Police Station Road towards ITI Road. The NH 66 will be below the vehicular overpass. The estimated cost of the project would be Rs 25 crore, he said, and added that the contract for the project was already awarded after the due tender process.</p>.<p>Gowda also announced a proposal to construct a vehicular overpass at Nanthoor Junction. The proposal was likely to be approved within a month, and the estimated cost of the project was Rs 22 crore.</p>.<p><strong>Four lanes of road from Addahole to B C Road</strong></p>.<p>Giving the status update about the work on stretch of road between Addahole and B C Road, the project director said that it was broken into two batches—for the stretch from Periyashanthi to Bantwal that covered about 48 km and for the stretch from Periyashanthi to Addahole that covered about 15 km on NH 75.</p>.<p>Gowda also informed at the meeting that about 48 per cent of the work of retaining walls of the bridges—as a part of expansion to four-lane—was completed on the stretch.</p>.<p>He said that the rebuilding of the road from Addahole to Periyashanthi will be completed by December 2023 and that from Periyashanthi to B C Road will be finished by March 2024.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/dc-clamps-prohibitory-order-in-kodagu-from-august-24-1138465.html" target="_blank">DC clamps prohibitory order in Kodagu from August 24</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Potholes repair work in district</strong></p>.<p>The Disha meeting was chaired by Dakshin Kannada member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel, who directed the officials concerned to take up the task of filling potholes in the district. Gowda told Kateel that the potholes on the highway, as well as the general maintenance of the roads would be taken up in September.</p>.<p>Gowda also said that the general road maintenance and repair work would be completed within a month if the rains stop. According to Gowda, about 40 per cent of the construction of Kuloor bridge was completed on NH 66. The service road at Brahmarakootlu toll plaza will be completed shortly, he said.</p>.<p>Zilla Parishad CEO Dr Kumar, mayor Premananda Shetty, and additional district collector Krishnamurthy were also present at the meeting.</p>
