JUNE 10- a Yet Another New Date for Thokkutu Flyover to OPEN! Will It Happen?
Mangaluru : If you look at the Work that is going on the Thokkottu and Pumpwell flyovers, seems like they may breach another deadline. Concessionaire was given a deadline of March 31 for Thokkuttu flyover to open, while May 31 was given for Kankanady Pumpwell flyover to open. Despite the fast approaching monsoon, Navayuga Udupi Tollway Pvt. Ltd. appears to be in no hurry to complete work on at least one of the two flyovers along National Highway 66, thereby challenging the very authority of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Thokkuttu Flyover…
While Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had given March 31 and May 31 deadlines for completing work on the Thokkottu and Pumpwell Flyovers, respectively, in Mangaluru, work on both the sites appear nowhere near completion with deployment of only a few men and machinery. Though work on the Thokkottu flyover has reached the ending stage with the concessionaire almost completing earthwork for the up and down ramps, bitumen-laying process is pending. According to NHAI officials themselves, the process may not be completed within a fortnight as it involves a host of activities.
He Came..He Saw….He Promised? But Both Flyovers are in Limbo
Procuring material, activating the bitumen plant, deploying required machinery, etc., would take time, after the completion of the earthwork and as such, the May 31 fresh deadline may not be met, that is for sure. This apart, the concessionaire has to reconstruct the service road on both the sides of the flyover, which cannot be done once it starts raining. Motorists using the service road, particularly those going towards and coming from Konaje, would have to bear with pot hole-ridden stretch of the service roads till the rain recedes.
Kankanady Pumpwell Flyover
On the other hand, no activities could be seen at the Pumpwell flyover site despite the warning from Nitin Gadkari. With the concessionaire delaying work, NHAI reportedly gave another deadline, according to sources. The concessionaire, before completing the flyover, has to build a culvert on a major storm-water drain towards Karnataka Bank head office and a pedestrian underpass at Ujjodi towards Indiana Hospital. While the work on the culvert has just commenced, that of the underpass is yet to start. Service roads on both the sides continue to be in bad condition.
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Now there are fresh news that the project which had taken over eight years to complete, Thokkuttu flyover may open for vehicular traffic on 10 June, but in the meantime we have to keep our fingers crossed till it materializes to believe. Even though the asphalting work has been completed, there is still much work left, like sealing the cracks on the concrete flyover and construction of protective walls. Even the mud has to be removed, and road need to be leveled. But if everything goes on well, motorists could see this flyover open on 10 June as assured by the construction company.
In conclusion, though the work on these two flyovers began eight years ago, they still remain incomplete and it is a nightmare for motorists using nearby roads, which are pothole ridden and poorly lit. The projects have missed many deadlines and the authorities now assure it will be over by 10 June, at least one. This is a classic example of apathy and bungling by civic authorities on these two crucial infrastructure projects. The area is becoming dangerous because the streets are not well lit. Lamenting the government for its lackadaisical attitude, many citizens say that major accidents are taking place on the service road nearby as they are riddled with potholes. Service roads are miserable. Though there is a deadline being fixed to fill potholes, nothing has been done in that regard. Construction debris leads to traffic congestion. The in-completion of the work has led to a harrowing situation as the commuters feel helpless while navigating through the area.
