Special Report: Mani-Sampaje road to finally join NH 275

Sullia: Sampaje-Mani road which lies along the Mani-Mysuru highway has been finally added to NH 275. The joining process which was floating by the shore has finally reached the port. This state highway which was under Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) limits will henceforth come under the National Highway Authority of Indian (NHAI). Maintenance of the road and development is the responsibility of NHAI.

Hesitation to transfer

According to the department’s deadline, Mani-Sampaje road should have been transferred over to NHAI in the first week of March. But, before the road which was till now under the state road development limited was handed over to NHAI, the prior had to first inspect if its maintenance was proper not only after which NHAI would accept the transfer. Since the road maintenance had not reached its final phase, there was a hindrance for the transfer.  Hence, NHAI wrote a letter to KRDCL to quickly repair the road.

The delay in the beginning

A plan was drawn to widen and develop the state highway 88 from Mani to Mysuru was implemented in three phases. In the first phase the road from Mysuru-Kushalnagar was completed in April 2009. In the second phase it was completed from Kushalnagar-Sampaje on March 31^st 2013. In the third phase, the road work of the 71.9 kms road between Sampaje-Mani began on December 27^th 2009 and was supposed to get completed by June 20^th 2012. However, it was completed by a delay of three years in 2015.

Upgrading to NH 275

A notification was sent in February of 2013 stating that the SH 88 which was under the limits of KRDCL was to be upgraded to a national highway. Accordingly, the road from Mysuru-Kushalnagar, Kushalnagar-Smapaje was officially joined to the NHAI. However, as the work along the Sampaje-Mani stretch was delayed and remained to be developed, NHAT had to wait for three years to embrace the responsibility of this stretch. In other words, it took altogether 6 years including the delay from the start of the work to the transfer.

Lack of maintenance

D M Shareek filed a complaint with the Lokayukta stating that though the state highway has been developed, it failed to have proper facilities drainage, footpath, bus bay and others. Following this, a contract company started the work of properly joining the slab along the Mani Mysuru road. But it did not get completed systematically. NHAI has prepared to take up the future repair work.

By-pass, four laning

As the state highway has completed the process of making it a national highway, in future the road will be developed into a four lane.  As the road pass through the middle of Sullia town, in the future during the four laning, land acquiring is inevitable. Hence there is fear in the town that it may cause a problem to the shops and business in the town. But the people’s representatives and officials have assured that instead a bypass will be created and the idea to widen the road within the town will be dropped. According to the report procured under the Right to Information Act a consultant has been appointed for the creation of the bypass, and the bypass will be decided as per the report submitted by the consultant.

Has been added

“A few days back NHAI added the Mani-Smapaje SH along the Mani-Mysuru NH to the NH. Henceforth, all the works in relation to the road will be conducted through NHAI,” said Ganesh, Chief Engineer, NHAI, Bengaluru.