Work on the Kulur bridge, which resumed after multiple temporary halts, has made little progress over the past year. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is building a six-lane bridge alongside a new service road to alleviate traffic congestion between Udupi and Mangaluru. A new service road bridge is also planned on the left side for traffic heading towards Mangaluru, while the existing bridge on the right will be rehabilitated for traffic going towards Udupi.
The entire project spans 776 meters, with the main bridge and service road bridges each measuring 182.5 meters. The construction cost is estimated at Rs 56 crore. Work on the project began in 2021 but faced delays due to a contractor dispute and public protests over the prolonged construction. Although work resumed in December 2023, visible progress has been minimal.
According to sources, efforts are now focused on completing at least half of the bridge by March 2024 to divert traffic onto the new stretch, which would help ease congestion. As of now, 18 girders have been completed, with 70 more still pending. Despite these efforts, financial delays, including payment issues tied to project milestones, remain a significant barrier to timely completion.
Regarding the BC Road-Addahole stretch of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru road, NHAI officials are hopeful for significant progress by January 15. Service roads at Kalladka, along with sections of the concrete road and bridges, are expected to be completed soon. The aim is to achieve 90% completion by April, with blasting activities planned at select locations once safety concerns are addressed.
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