Concrete boxes pushing complete, yet Smart City fails Mangaluru residents as Mahakalipadpu twin RuB not commissioned

MSCL has completed only a portion of the approach road on Jeppinamogaru side. Work on the approach road at Morgan’s Gate side was yet to commence, by which time rains began lashing the coast.

Notwithstanding about three weeks at its disposal to complete the approach roads for the twin Railway Under Bridge (RuB) at Mahakalipadpu, the Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) has been unable to do the job, thereby indefinitely postponing commissioning of the crucial RuB.

While Southern Railway’s Palakkad division had completed pushing the last of the four concrete boxes for the twin RuB on April 17, and removed the last girder beneath the Mangaluru Central-Shoranur Down line on April 23, MSCL has completed only a portion of the approach road on Jeppinamogaru side. Work on the approach road at Morgan’s Gate side was yet to commence, by which time rains began lashing the coast.

MSCL had promised to facilitate commissioning of the twin RuB by May-end, thereby ending over four years’ ordeal of thousands of road users in Mangaluru who were forced to take a detour via Pumpwell Circle all these days. With rains arriving at the coast much earlier than expected, the MSLC had to stop work on the approach road.

Blaming rains that started on May 15 for the incomplete approach roads, a senior MSCL official said the Smart City would get the road work completed during dry spell projected till June 14. The Railways has to lay a water drain pipeline to pump out water from the RuB till Netravati river, following which work on the approach road on Morgan’s Gate side would be taken up, he said.

The MSCL and the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) are to complete approach roads from the existing railway level crossing towards the twin RuBs, as the Railways would close the level crossing gate once the RuBs are commissioned. MSCL has also proposed to continue one of the two approach roads on the Moily Kere stretch till Netravati river to connect the Netravati promenade.

In-charge Deputy Commissioner K. Anandh said he would instruct MSCL to complete the work on the approach roads at the earliest.

Divisional Railway Manager Arun Kumar Chaturvedi told The Hindu that the Railways has already completed all critical works, including pushing of the boxes, on its part. “The drain line to Netravati river could be laid once the Mangaluru City Corporation shifts a water piepline in the path. It is a day’s work,” he said.