Slush pools disapper, yet potholes and craters along Punjalakatte-Charmadi stretch of NH 73 irk road users

Widening project on NH 73 between Mangaluru and Dharmasthala faces delays, expected completion by April 2025.

Those driving regularly between Mangaluru and Dharmasthala and surrounding areas via Mangaluru-Tumakuru National Highway 73 regret the continued pathetic condition of the highway between Punjalakatte and Charmadi that is under widening to two-lane.

“Though the road condition has considerably improved, from the slushy and slippery stretches to pothole and crater-ridden stretches, the work progress is yet to pick up pace,” said Jayakrishna, who often drives through the stretch to Chikkamagaluru.

He said the contractor and the National Highways Division of the Karnataka Public Works Department that was executing the project should have given a motorable road during the execution of the project. However, even the existing carriageway has worn out in many places, let alone the stretches excavated for the construction of the new carriageway.

Consequently, one would take at least two and a half hours to drive the 70 km distance from Mangaluru to temple town Dharmasthala, said Naresh, another regular commuter on the stretch. The stretch between Guruvayanakere and Ujire, where the highway would be made four-lane with service roads, has become worst, he rued.

April 2025 deadline

A senior PWD engineer said the original deadline for completion was April 2025 which might get extended by another six months because of heavy rains and difficult work terrain.

He said after the contract was informally handed over to M/s Mugrodi Constructions in August this year, the pace of work has picked up. A major bridge at Mundaje was almost complete while two other major bridges at Belthangady and Punjalakatte were nearing completion. Work on 12 cross-drains too was nearing completion.