Suratkal four-lane project to be completed by 2008: Minister

Kollur, Karnataka, Jun 7 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways K H Muniyappa today said the 36-km BC Road and the Suratkal four-lane project would be completed by 2008.

Addressing a press conference here after reviewing the progress of New Mangalore Port connectivity project and other infrastructural projects, he said the survey for the four-lane project between Kundapura and Suratkal had been completed and a detailed project report was being prepared. The report was also being prepared for the Mangalore-Karnataka-Kerala border, covering 15 km.

The Minister said the prestigious Golden Quadrilateral project would be completed by 2012. Under the project, the UPA Government at the Centre had completed work on 5,319 km of four-lane road and work on 527 km of road under the National Highway Development Programme-I (NHDP) would be completed by the year-end. Work on 827 km of road under NHDP-II to four-lane the North-South and East-West corridors had been completed. The widening work, on in 4,892 km, would be completed by 2008-09 and the balance length was yet to be awarded.

Mr Muniyappa said all works under the NHDP were being taken up on a build-operate-transfer basis and Rs six crore was being spent for laying one km of road.

To a question, he said a Rs ten crore rehabilitation proposal had been submitted for the 11 bridges in dilapidated condition on NH 17 between Kundapura and Bhatkal. Tenders would be invited by next month, he added.

Referring to the movement of overloaded manganese ore lorries damaging NH-17, he said an uniform policy had been implemented in the matter for the entire country and the State Governments had been repeatedly told to strictly enforce the policy. It was the responsibiliy of the State Governments concerned to look into the issue.

UNI MA GD LS HT2134