Mangaluru: In a letter to BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has stated that “Bids worth about Rs. 1,976 Crore have been invited for the construction of a four-lane road between Maranahalli Crosshole in Shiradi Ghat Division.” Along with this four-laning, the Shiradi Ghat Tunnel Project, which will reduce the cost of traffic and transportation between Mangaluru and Bengaluru, will be taken up at a cost of Rs. 15,000 Crore.”
“The 23-km-long tunnel construction DPR will be finalised by April 2023 and bids will be invited in May,” he added.
It has also been decided to repair the road from Sakleshpura to Maranahalli for smooth flow of traffic. A bid of Rs. 12.2 Crore is being evaluated, he stated.
Minister Nitin Gadkari, in a letter to MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, clarified that the contractors have offered to carry out patch work for the maintenance of the existing road.
Earlier on December 8 2022, Nitin Gadkari, while replying to Nalin Kumar’s question in Parliament, had said that the Shiradi Ghat Tunnel was not possible.
