Bengaluru, (DHNS): Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has set a 2019-deadline for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to complete ongoing highway projects spanning around 4,000 km in the state, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said on Friday. This includes a 283-km-long satellite town ring road for Bengaluru. Kumaraswamy chaired a high-level meeting with NHAI officials to review ongoing projects that are being carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 37,000 crore. The progress of highway works has slowed down, Kumaraswamy noted in the meeting, and directed authorities to review projects at the chief secretary’s level every month to ensure they are completed in a time-bound manner. He also directed deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of Zilla Panchayats to speed up the process of acquiring land and replace electricity poles, water pipes and other utilities.

Public Works Minister H D Revanna said Karnataka had a total of 7,556 kms of road maintained by the NHAI and his department. The NHAI plans to develop 1,959 kms of roads with an investment of Rs 27,000 crore this year. Kumaraswamy directed authorities to complete the following highway projects in a time-bound manner: NH 275 Bengaluru to Mysuru (117 kms), NH 17 Goa border to Kundapur via Karwar (170 kms), NH 206 Tumakuru to Shivamogga (4-lane, 205 kms), NH 150 Ballari to Hiriyur (160 kms) and NH 48 Bengaluru to Hassan (180 kms), which is proposed to be converted into a total access controlled expressway.