Bypass road DPR to be ready by Sep: Nalin

Mangaluru: The detailed project report of the proposed Mangaluru City bypass between Mulki and Thokkottu is likely to be ready by September and the project is to be completed by 2021, said MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.  

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel told reporters that the project consultants, Stup Consultants Pvt. Ltd., are likely to submit a detailed project report to NHAI by September this year. The project is likely to be completed by 2021 and will be built under engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode, with an estimated cost of 2,800 crore rupees.

The proposed 77-km four-lane Mangaluru City bypass between Mulki and Thokkottu via Kinnigoli, Kateel, Bajpe, Kaikamba, B.C. Road, Melkar and Mudipu, tentative alignment and feasibility study has been finalised by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The project to de-congest roads around the city was sanctioned last year by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

Current alignment

Rajeev from Stup said that the consultant favoured to follow the existing road alignment in consultation with NHAI and people’s representatives, except for certain stretches.  A four-lane carriageway of 45 metres uniform width with total right of way (RoW) of 60 metres or 70 metres, to be decided by NHAI has been proposed by the feasibility study. To prevent encroachment, the borders of the RoW would either be fenced or stone-marked.

The bypass would start near Padu Panambur, about 1.5 km from Mulki, with a trumpet interchange and join the existing Mulki-Moodbidri highway near Kinnigoli. a 1.25-km flyover through Kinnigoli town, which would bypass the Kateel temple stretch while providing easy access to Mangaluru International Airport at Bajpe and avoid land acquisition has been proposed by Stup.

The bypass would have a trumpet interchange for seamless movement of traffic and join B.C. Road in between Bantwal-Belthangady highway and the Netravathi. Traffic towards Kerala would move on the existing NH 75 till Melkar and turn right towards Mudipu before joining NH 66 at Thokkottu. Since the area is almost developed, the entire stretch from Mudipu to Thokkottu would have service roads on both sides.

It is now mandatory to have uniform right of way of 70 metres in view of further widening the highways to six lanes. To prevent encroachment, buffer land would be in the middle followed by the main carriageways and service roads on the border, informed Ajith Kumar, NHAI’s Manager (Technical).