SAKLESHPUR: The Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway has transformed into a muddy mess, causing massive traffic disruptions since Tuesday night. This situation arose when contractors dug up the asphalt road during rainfall for concrete road construction.
On Wednesday, thousands of vehicles were stranded for hours along a 5-6 km stretch from Anemahalli towards Sakleshpur and Donigal. Even an ambulance travelling from Hassan to Mangaluru was forced to halt mid-journey.
Students heading for their mid-term exams, scheduled for 9:30 AM, were severely affected. Many reached school by noon, causing anxiety among students and parents. Schools made special arrangements for late arrivals to take the exam separately.
The four-lane road work between Hassan and Maranahalli is currently in progress. On Tuesday afternoon, heavy machinery was used to dig up the highway near Anemahalli village. Critics point out that the entire road was excavated without providing alternative routes for traffic, leading to the current crisis as rainwater accumulated.
Motorists blame the National Highways Authority and the contractor, Rajkamal Builders, for unscientific work practices.
MLA Cement Manju, upon learning about the highway chaos, rushed to the scene. Due to heavy traffic, he had to walk 2 km from Thotadagadde to Anemahalli. The MLA reprimanded both the National Highway engineers and the contractor’s engineers. He remained on-site from 7 AM to 1:30 PM, overseeing efforts to lay a jelly concrete mix, but traffic movement remained impossible.
“I have urged the District Collector and SP to file criminal cases against the engineers responsible for this unscientific work that has caused public inconvenience,” stated MLA Cement Manju.
T.P. Surendra, a resident of Kesaganahalli, commented, “It’s as if the Malnad region is cursed. The four-lane work started in 2017, but even now, only 40% is complete.”
This incident highlights the severe public inconvenience caused by poor planning and execution of road works, affecting thousands of commuters and students in the region.