Finally, NHAI to restore battered Sakleshpur-Maranahalli stretch

The authority invites bids for the maintenance of the 10-km highway stretch at a cost of ₹12.2 crore

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has finally responded to the public outcry against the completely battered 10 km stretch of Bengaluru-Mangaluru NH 75 between Sakleshpur and Maranahalli in Hassan district and decided to repair and maintain the existing highway.

NHAI’s Chief General Manager (Technical) in Bengaluru Regional Office invited bids on December 16 for “maintenance of existing NH of Hassan-Maranahalli section from Sakleshpur Design Km 220 to Maranahalli Design Km 230.06 km of NH 75” at an estimated cost of ₹12.2 crore.

The scope of work includes laying of Dense Bitumen Macadam (DBM) and the Bitumen Concrete on the project highway within a period of four months, that is, before the onset of the South West Monsoon. While December 29 is the last date to submit online bids, NHAI would open the bids the next day. The 10-km stretch is part of Hassan-Maranahalli four-lane road widening project being executed by the authority since 2017 on engineering, procurement and construction mode.

Hue and cry

While the NHAI was yet to make any progress of the four-lane project in the affected sector, the stretch had become non-motorable ever since the 2018 torrential rains that resulted in landslips and floods in the Western Ghat and coastal regions. The authority, however, did not bother to restore the road despite road users, including Chambers of Commerce and others seeking immediate action.

Recently, Rajya Sabha members D. Veerendra Heggade and Jaggesh made strong appeals to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to ensure the stretch was restored to facilitate normal life in the coastal region. The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that had been warning about the disaster since two years, was upset with the declining trade and commerce activities between the State capital and the coast, including the EXIM trade.

Fleet owners, both passenger and goods, have been suffering losses to the tunes of crores of rupees every year as trucks and buses suffered huge wear and tear losses while private vehicle users had almost stopped plying through the stretch.