Dry spell helps NHAI partially refurbish Surathkal-B C Road Port Connectivity Road
The week-long dry spell has helped the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to partially complete the total renewal of the Port Connectivity Road on the Surathkal-B C Road section comprising portions of National Highway 66 and NH 75.
While the total renewal of the 11 k.m. stretch of the 37.42 k.m. Port Connectivity Road, built by the New Mangalore Port Road Company Ltd., was launched on April 24 by Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta. Rains lashing the region from May third week hampered the renewal work. M/s Mugrodi Constructions had bagged the contract for total renewal at an estimated cost of ₹28.58 crore.
The NHAI, working on behalf of the NMPRL, had commenced milling (scraping) the identified highway surface from NITK-Surathkal and relayed bitumen concrete on certain stretch; but it had to stop the work mid-way following torrential rains. Consequently, road users, particularly two-wheeler riders, had a tough time negotiating the stretch even as potholes and craters continued to haunt them along the stretch.
The Authority resumed the renewal work after the rains subsided from last one week and completed laying bitumen concrete on the milled stretch of about 1.5 km from Tadambail towards the City, according to an official. It may not further mill the balance stretch as the rains were expected to resume in the coming week and complete the work soon after the Monsoon.
Clearing drains
The improper maintenance of the Port Road over the years had resulted in the shoulder drains remaining clogged thereby preventing free flow of rainwater and damaging the carriageway surface.
Along with the renewal of the carriageways, the NHAI has now started clearing the drains, particularly on the New Mangalore Port stretch between Baikampady and Kulur.
As the Authority would not be able to relay the roads immediately, it would fix potholes and craters on the Surathkal-KPT stretch on NH 66 to ensure road users would not get affected during the Monsoon, the official said.
Waterlogging cleared
Meanwhile, the Authority has built a cross-drain using cement pipes near Thumbay on Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75, part of the Port Road, that witnessed massive waterlogging during rains. The waterlogging besides inconveniencing road users, had resulted in road mishaps too.
The just-completed cross drain was able to prevent waterlogging on the stretch with the accumulated rainwater draining out on the southern side of the highway, the official said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Dry spell helps NHAI partially refurbish Surathkal-B C Road Port Connectivity Road
The week-long dry spell has helped the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to partially complete the total renewal of the Port Connectivity Road on the Surathkal-B C Road section comprising portions of National Highway 66 and NH 75. While the total renewal of the 11 k.m. stretch of the 37.42 k.m. Port Connectivity Road, built by the New Mangalore Port Road Company Ltd., was launched on April 24 by Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta. Rains lashing the region from May third week hampered the renewal work. M/s Mugrodi Constructions had bagged the contract for total renewal at an estimated cost of ₹28.58 crore. The NHAI, working on behalf of the NMPRL, had commenced milling (scraping) the identified highway surface from NITK-Surathkal and relayed bitumen concrete on certain stretch; but it had to stop the work mid-way following torrential rains. Consequently, road users, particularly two-wheeler riders, had a tough time negotiating the stretch even as potholes and craters continued to haunt them along the stretch. The Authority resumed the renewal work after the rains subsided from last one week and completed laying bitumen concrete on the milled stretch of about 1.5 km from Tadambail towards the City, according to an official. It may not further mill the balance stretch as the rains were expected to resume in the coming week and complete the work soon after the Monsoon. Clearing drains The improper maintenance of the Port Road over the years had resulted in the shoulder drains remaining clogged thereby preventing free flow of rainwater and damaging the carriageway surface. Along with the renewal of the carriageways, the NHAI has now started clearing the drains, particularly on the New Mangalore Port stretch between Baikampady and Kulur. As the Authority would not be able to relay the roads immediately, it would fix potholes and craters on the Surathkal-KPT stretch on NH 66 to ensure road users would not get affected during the Monsoon, the official said. Waterlogging cleared Meanwhile, the Authority has built a cross-drain using cement pipes near Thumbay on Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75, part of the Port Road, that witnessed massive waterlogging during rains. The waterlogging besides inconveniencing road users, had resulted in road mishaps too. The just-completed cross drain was able to prevent waterlogging on the stretch with the accumulated rainwater draining out on the southern side of the highway, the official said.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Government approves shifting of Gurgaon's Kherki Daula toll plaza on Delhi-Jaipur NH to Pachgaon
NEW DELHI: The government has approved shifting of Gurgaon's Kherki Daula toll plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway (NH-48) to Pachgaon, a place beyond Manesar, paving the way for easy commute for lakhs of office goers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When the plaza is moved to Pachgaon, over 15 kilometres from Gurgaon, commuters travelling between Delhi and Manesar also won't have to pay toll. Locals have been demanding its removal since 2014. TOI has learnt that Union road transport and highways minister has approved the plan, and to ensure the new spot doesn't see any congestion, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will go for Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) toll collection system. For the new facility, the Haryana government has provided nearly 28 acres of land to the highway authority, sources said. The process of shifting and starting the MMLF system to collect toll at Pachgaon may take around six months. 'Pachgaon is the ideal location as it falls beyond Gurgaon and Manesar. Since there is an interchange of the Western Peripheral Expressway and the NH-48 at Pachgaon, the new toll collection point couldn't have been beyond the intersection,' a source said. In the MMLF system, vehicles don't need to stop as overhead cameras installed for each lane will read the vehicle registration number and automatically deduct the charge from the FASTag wallet linked to the vehicle. Sources said a decision has also been taken to have an integrated system to ensure that traffic coming from the Dwarka Expressway side and heading towards Jaipur don't end up paying toll at this point once again as user fee. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'This is very much possible. Once the annual toll pass for private vehicles is rolled out most of the issues will be resolved automatically,' said a source. The shifting of the toll plaza will end conflicts between operators and people from areas adjoining Kherki Daula, and fulfil the promise the Haryana and central governments have been making for the past seven to eight years. Locals have been demanding that the NHAI shift the toll plaza citing that the govt has recovered more than the investment made in constructing the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway by private players and the highway authority. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha in March, the road transport ministry said against Rs 2,489 crore incurred as cost for the NH-48's Delhi-Gurgaon stretch, the toll collection has been around Rs 2,775 crore, around 11% more than the investment. After completion of this 27-km Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, commuters were paying user fees at Sirhaul (Delhi-Gurgaon border) and Kherki Daula toll plazas. Tolling was stopped at the Delhi-Gurgaon border in 2014, bringing relief to commuters travelling between Dhaula Kuan in Delhi and Kherki Daula. However, those going beyond this point paid toll for the entire stretch. At present, NHAI collects toll through its agency. Meanwhile, sources said the decision to shift the Kherki Daula toll plaza by the road transport ministry will create more pressure on the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to do away with physical entry fee collection booths on the capital's borders to prevent congestion. Traffic jams at these places defeat the purpose of huge investment in building highways and expressways for faster connectivity to Delhi.
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Road near Delhi-Noida-Direct Flyway to be widened to ease snarls
The Noida authority will soon widen the road between Sector 95 and the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) Flyway, to ease persistent traffic congestion near the Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal on the Noida Expressway by adding a 600-metre-long and 5.5-metre-wide carriageway, officials said on Saturday. The total width of the expressway will increase from 39.5 metres to 45 metres, as per the Noida authority, following recommendations from a survey conducted by a consultant hired specifically to study this high-traffic stretch, officials said. 'After the survey, the study recommended the removal of a one-metre-wide side paver, a 1.4-metre-wide footpath, and a 3.1-metre-wide paved surface to create the new 5.5-metre-wide carriageway,' the Authority said in a statement. To implement the project, the Noida authority had sought a no-objection certificate (NOC) on September 26, 2024, from the Lucknow-based committee responsible for the management, security, and maintenance of memorials, museums, institutions, parks, and gardens across the state. The committee granted the NOC on June 5, 2025, paving the way for the project. The Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Stha has long been a major traffic choke point, as traffic from the Sector 62–18 Elevated Road, Sector 18, Film City Flyover Loop, and Noida-Greater Noida Expressway abruptly merges from four lanes into three in front of the memorial, officials said. This abrupt lane drop causes daily slowdowns and peak-hour gridlocks, requiring extra traffic police deployment. To mitigate the situation, police had recently initiated a stop-and-go traffic control exercise using barricades near the Film City loop, but this led to congestion spilling backward onto the loop itself, traffic officials said. Further complicating matters is lane indiscipline near the DND Flyway loop, with many drivers abruptly switching lanes to either access the flyway or continue toward the Chilla Border, creating long vehicle queues and erratic flow. 'The new widening will help alleviate these issues by improving lane continuity and reducing bottlenecks. The work plan is pending final approval from the Authority. After clearance, the tender process will begin, and construction is expected to commence soon,' said an official, requesting anonymity. The plan mirrors a recently completed widening effort on the Noida-Greater Noida arm of the Expressway between the DND Flyway loop and Film City, where an additional lane was added to ease traffic congestion in that section.
