Govt Plans 29-km Tunnel in Shiradi Ghat Section.

The Union government has agreed to extend all help to the state's proposal to construct a 29-km tunnel in the Shiradi Ghat section connecting Mangaluru with Bengaluru.

The road tunnel, which would run through the Western Ghat, is estimated to cost over Rs. 10,000 crore, PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa told reporters recently.

The minister said that the proposed project would come up on National Highway 48 and would be executed with financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Informing about his meeting with Union Surface Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday in New Delhi, he said, 'Gadkari has assured to extend all cooperation to execute the project.'

He said if the project is implemented, Shiradi Ghat, which has been closed down for repair works, would become an all-weather expressway connecting Mangaluru to the state capital. 'I have instructed the department officials to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the proposed tunnel route,' he added. The project would be executed on a public-private partnership model, he said.

Replying to questions, he said the Union Surface Transport Ministry had advised the state government against constructing an elevated corridor near Mandya town on the Bengaluru-Mysuru State Highway,

which has now been upgraded as a NH. 'Instead of an elevated corridor, the Centre has advised us to construct bypass roads to Bidadi, Ramanagaram, Channapatna, and Mandya towns,' he said.

He also said that Gadkari has advised the state government to focus on developing those State Highways which have been declared as NHs , instead of seeking more roads to be brought under the ambit of NH.


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS