Mangaluru, DHNS: The National Highways division of the Public Works Department, Mangaluru, has submitted a Rs 6-crore proposal for improvement of the Charmadi Ghat road (NH 234), identified as an alternative to the Shiradi Ghat road (between Hassan and Mangaluru), on which the second phase of works will be launched.

PWD (NH?division) assistant executive engineer (AEE) Abdul Rehman informed Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment B?Ramanath Rai, also in charge of the district, during a meeting at the deputy commissioner’s office on Tuesday that it would be imperative to take up the improvement works on the 75-km Charmadi Ghat (BC?Road Junction to Charmadi Ghat) since the road is just 4.50 metres to 5.50 metres wide. The shoulders on either side need to be improved using gravel to cater to the surge in traffic. As many as 482 sharp curves have been identified from?Bantwal to Charmadi Ghat alone, he added.

The officer also suggested that the road shoulders can be improved using ‘charalu’ (sand and pebble mixed substance found near rivers and pits) instead of sand which is too loose for the intended work. In the case of ‘charalu’, not less than 536 loads will be required to take up the work, he added.

According to the proposal copy, the potholes on the same stretch should be filled using asphalt and the road sides that have been damaged owing to rainfall and vehicular movement should be strengthened using hard sand.

Rs 85.28-cr work

The Shiradi Ghat road works include strengthening and rigid pavement from Hassan to Maranahalli and?Gundya to BC?Road into four lanes, at an estimated cost of Rs 85.28 crore.

The?347-km Mangaluru-Bengaluru Road (NH-75) is the main national highway passing through BC?Road, Shiradi Ghat, Hassan and Kunigal.?The Hassan-Bengaluru section has been already widened to four lanes.