Dark stretches on NH 66 causing hardship to motorists

Street lights not working on several stretches of the highway passing through the city

Returning home from bandobust duty from Surathkal in the early hours of Saturday on his motorcycle, a police constable from a city police station found it difficult to traverse through some stretches of National Highway 66.

After crossing the APMC Market in Baikampady, the constable had to pass through a pitch dark 500-m stretch of the road overbridge. “A street dog suddenly came along barking and fortunately, I did not lose balance and moved ahead,” he said.

Further, the constable had to go through a dark, 800-m stretch of the Kuloor Flyover. Further, he had to pass through another dark stretch between Kottara Chowki and A.J. Hospital where the street lights were not lit. “It is really sad to see such dark stretches on this busy national highway that puts life of motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, at risk,” the constable regretted.

The police constable is among the several motorists and residents who are facing trouble passing through unlit portions of National Highway 66 that pass through the city.

The streetlights placed on the one-kilometre-long Pumpwell Flyover have been dysfunctional for over two years now.

Similarly, streetlights between Karnataka Bank Head Office and Nantoor Circle and over the Kuntikana Flyover are not working. There are no street lights on the Kuloor Flyover and the Kuloor old bridge (Udupi-Mangaluru carriageway) and also over the four lanes of the railway overbridge in Baikampady. There are no streetlights over the Bikarnakatte Flyover either.

Activist G.K. Bhat, who has been fighting for the cause of having working streetlights, said that despite a number of representations to National Highway Authority of India, officials have not bothered to address the issue.