Mangaluru: The Public Works Department has taken up the development of a four-lane road between Pumpwell (Mahaveer Junction) and Karavali Junction with a construction deadline of four months, but major hurdles in shifting underground utilities along the stretch may delay completion beyond the stipulated timeline.
Officials said that multiple underground service lines, including drainage and utility connections, run beneath the proposed cement concrete (CC) road corridor. These must be relocated before full-scale road concreting can begin. Any delay in this preliminary work is expected to push the schedule forward.
Traffic police have already imposed restrictions on vehicular movement along the corridor until June 15 as preparatory work and phased construction begin.
Project scope and cost details
The road project was sanctioned during 2022–23 at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore. It covers a 600-metre stretch and includes the construction of a four-lane cement concrete road designed to improve durability and traffic flow on one of the city’s key connectors.
As per the project design, both sides of the stretch will have 7-metre-wide CC carriageways. The work is being executed in phases to ensure that at least part of the corridor remains open to traffic during construction.
Officials stated that while the headline construction window for the carriageway is four months, the total tendered project duration is 11 months. This broader timeline includes preparatory works, utility adjustments, drainage, median development, and finishing activities.
Civic body handling medians and ducts
The Mangaluru City Corporation has been assigned responsibility for developing the median, roadside drains, and utility ducts on both sides of the road. Civic teams have already started utility-shifting operations in coordination with line departments.
Multiple agencies are involved in the corridor due to overlapping infrastructure. These include power, water supply, underground drainage, and telecom utilities. Coordination between departments is being treated as critical to avoid repeated road cutting after the CC surface is laid.
Officials clarified that a major drinking water pipeline carrying supply from the Thumbe dam runs beneath the project stretch and will not be relocated as part of the current work. Protective measures will instead be taken to ensure that the pipeline is not damaged during construction.
Phased construction and traffic impact
According to engineers, concreting work on one side of the road can be completed within the four-month construction window if utility shifting progresses on schedule. Work on the opposite side — which is currently carrying live traffic — will begin only after the first phase is substantially completed.
Because of this staggered approach, traffic restrictions are likely to continue beyond the currently notified June 15 deadline. Authorities indicated that revised traffic advisories may be issued depending on on-ground progress.
Commuters using the corridor have been advised to plan alternate routes where possible and follow police directions near the work zone.
MLA inspects site with officials
Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath recently conducted a site inspection along with officials from several departments, including the PWD, the city corporation, Mescom, KUIDFC, and the police department.
During the inspection, the MLA reviewed the status of utility shifting and coordination among agencies. He stated that the Rs 4 crore project had been sanctioned during the previous BJP government’s tenure and that even the groundbreaking ceremony had been held earlier.
He alleged that the project was stalled after the change in government and restarted only after repeated appeals to minister Satish Jarkiholi. He said delays had caused inconvenience to the public and stressed the need for faster execution now.
Call to expedite works
Meanwhile, MLC Ivan D’Souza said he would convene a coordination meeting with the concerned departments to help expedite the work and resolve bottlenecks, particularly those related to underground utilities.
Officials across departments agree that inter-agency coordination and timely utility relocation will determine whether the core four-month road construction target can be met. Until then, phased work and regulated traffic movement are expected to continue along the corridor.
Conclusion
The four-lane CC road project is expected to significantly improve road quality and reduce maintenance needs once completed. However, the complexity of underground infrastructure along the route remains the key risk factor. The pace of utility shifting in the coming weeks will decide whether the project stays on track or faces further delays.