JOIN USTwo ghat sections - Agumbe and Shiradi - which are going in for a major facelift will be shut for road users for three to four months.
The Agumbe Ghat - linking Shivamogga with Udupi via Hebri - is part of a State highway. A few stretches of the highway which are concretised have been badly damaged and need relaying. A stretch of 2.5 km is going to see comprehensive development, including laying of concrete and construction of culverts. The concrete stretch was built 57 years ago and since then, it has not seen any major repairs, according to sources in the Public Works Department (PWD).
The work is tentatively scheduled to begin on December 21. The budget allocation for the work is Rs 9.9 crore. Ibrahim Sharief, a contractor from Thirthahalli, has bagged the work contract.
After the road is ready, it will be handed over to the National Highways Authority of India for maintenance. Work on the ground would commence in a couple of weeks, it is learnt.
Both the Shivamogga and Udupi wings of the PWD have jurisdiction over the ghat road, which has 14 bends. The distance between Thirthahalli and Udupi via Agumbe is 86 km. The ghat road is in bad condition only in patches.
The PWD, sources said, has identified two alternative roads for road users. One route is from Thirthahalli to Kundapur via Byndoor. Another is the road from Thirthahalli to Karkala via Sringeri, Koppa and Balebare Ghat.
In case of the Shiradi Ghat, a link between Sakleshpur and Gundia on NH 48, is going to be soon closed for four months. In the first stage, a stretch of 12 km would be taken up for concrete laying and culvert construction. In patches, it would have asphalting too. The investment would be around Rs 80 crore. Later, another 12 km would be taken up for repair. The contract has been bagged by Ocean Construction, Mangaluru, according to the PWD.
Sources said that the entire Shiradi Ghat, a stretch of 24 km, would be concrete road. Already work on the culverts has begun. Construction materials like sand and jelly stones are being sourced from other districts. The work will begin from the Sakleshpur side. The date for closure of the road is yet to be fixed. However, sources said in about 20 days the road work would commence in full swing.