Udupi‑Chikkamagaluru MP Srinu Pujari chaired an urgent meeting of the National Highway‑66 regional office in Nagashandra, Bangalore, on 6 November 2026 to address a spate of accidents on the stretch between Hejmaadi and Baindur in Udupi district.
The gathering, attended by NH‑66 regional officer Vilas Brahmanakar, focused on chronic safety gaps: missing basic amenities, absent barriers between dividers, lack of protective walls at identified black‑spot zones, and pending foot‑over‑bridge construction. Pujari warned that 94 people had lost their lives in the last ten months along this corridor, and fourteen locations had been earmarked as accident hotspots.
Officials presented a comprehensive DPR for NH‑66, urging local representatives to prioritize its adoption. Brahmanakar confirmed that the service‑road upgrade from Hejmaadi to Kundapura had received phased approval, with works already under way near Koteshwara, Tekkatte, Kumbashi, Brahmavara and Kalyanpura. Additional service‑road sections near Ambagilu, Ermalu and the Kot Vivek High School bus stand are slated to start shortly.
During the session, pilgrims’ safety at Saligrama was discussed. Devotees travelling to Guranarasimha and Anjaneya Devala face frequent accidents while crossing the highway. Although a local under‑pass has been demanded, technical constraints and water‑runoff issues were cited; Brahmanakar directed a report to the relevant agency for further study.
Public pressure to halt the pedestrian foot‑bridge at Ermalu intensified after residents argued the structure served no practical purpose and obstructed access to a nearby temple. Pujari, together with MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, submitted written objections, yet construction persisted. In response, Brahmanakar instructed NH officials to stop the work immediately. Project director Javed also pledged to repair potholes on the Ambalpadi bridge and to widen the Santakatte service road from 5 m to 7.5 m to ease traffic flow.
Additional points included an urgent report on a recent crash at Kot junction, and the initiation of service‑road links extending to Gandhi Nagar through Udavar, Kinnimulki, Katpadi and Gundmi. The Katpadi under‑pass, originally slated for completion by September 2027, received a commitment from Brahmanakar for an earlier finish.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati Udupi