Where are the promised ‘US-standard’ highways in Karnataka? Premium

“By 2024, you will see highways in Karnataka on a par with the highways in the United States,” was the declaration by the longest serving Union Road Transport Minister of India, Nitin Gadkari, who is in office since May 26, 2014. He made this promise in Mangaluru on February 22, 2022. He was speaking after laying the foundation for the second time for the NH 75 four-lane project between B.C. Road and Adda Hole in Dakshina Kannada district as the old contractor had left and new contractors came in.

“By 2024, you will see highways in Karnataka on a par with the highways in the United States,” was the declaration by the longest serving Union Road Transport Minister of India, Nitin Gadkari, who is in office since May 26, 2014. He made this promise in Mangaluru on February 22, 2022. He was speaking after laying the foundation for the second time for the NH 75 four-lane project between B.C. Road and Adda Hole in Dakshina Kannada district as the old contractor had left and new contractors came in.

With 2023 coming to an end, paving the way for 2024, none of the ongoing National Highway widening into four-lane projects in Karnataka, including Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75 between B.C. Road and Adda Hole in Dakshina Kannada and from Maranahalli to Sakleshpur in Hassan district, Mangaluru-Solapur NH 169 between Bikarnakatatte in Mangaluru and Sanur in Karkala, Udupi district, Tumakuru-Shivamogga NH 206 -- to mention a few -- have reached a logical end. Limping on for many years, the projects have brought only more misery to road users as well as residents of the areas concerned.

While it is common to witness National highway projects in Karnataka making tardy progress, those in neighbouring Kerala appear to be on a fast-track, both being executed by the same National Highways Authority of India under the Union Road Transport Ministry headed by Mr. Gadkari. Before the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government assumed office in Karnataka, there was the much-touted “double engine” government in Karnataka, as claimed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders in Karnataka. Yet, the project progress has been extremely poor. Kerala, however, has always had the government from opposition parties during the decade-old NDA regime, and yet, projects were on fast track in God’s Own Country.

The Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway 75 (old No. 48) has been a crucial link not just because it linked the State Capital with the coastal commercial hub Mangaluru, but also because it connected most parts of Karnataka with State’s only major port, New Mangalore Port. While the 185 km Bengaluru (Nelamangala)-Hassan Stretch of NH 75 was made four-lane in November 2013 itself, the remaining stretch between Hassan and B.C. Road, excluding the Shiradi Ghat, is yet to be made four-lane even after a decade.

The NHAI decided to widen the Hassan-B.C. Road stretch of NH 75 under two packages, Hassan-Maranahalli and Adda Hole-B.C. Road. Mr. Gadkari laid the first foundation stone for the project in 2016, while work commencement letters to selected contractors were issued in 2017. M/s Isollux Corson was awarded the contract for the 45 km stretch between Hassan and Maranahalli in Hassan district at a cost of ₹ 400 crore on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode with a two years deadline for completion. M/s Larsen and Tubro was awarded the Addahole and B.C. Road (66 km) stretch contract at a cost of about ₹821 crore under EPC mode in Dakshina Kannada district, also with a two years deadline. The 21-km Shiradi Ghat in between these two stretches was excluded as the Ghat was concreted with a uniform width of 8 mtrs.

Things being so, widening work in both the packages came to a halt within about one and a half years for different reasons. While M/s Isolux declared insolvency, M/s L & T issued a contract foreclosure letter by 2018-end. Issues regarding land acquisition, forest clearance, non-availability of crushed stone, addition of vehicular under/ over passes etc., forced L & T to walk out of the contract.

The NHAI took a good one year to finalise new contractors for the works. It further split the Adda Hole-B.C. Road package into two, 15 km Adda Hole-Periyashanthi (Dharmasthala Cross) and 48 km Periyashanthi-B.C. Road. While the first package was awarded to M/s Autade Engineering at an estimated cost of ₹ 400 crore, the second one was awarded to M/s KNR Constructions at a cost of ₹ 1,100 crore. The cost was almost double the original cost awarded to L & T. The Hassan-Maranahalli stretch was awarded to M/s Rajkamal Builders, who was the subcontractor of M/s Isolux, at a cost of ₹538 crore (initially ₹400 crore). All these were awarded in the year 2021.