Bhatkal residents and commuters received fresh relief on 12 October when the National Highway segment linking Noor Masjid and Masjid‑e‑Toor was opened to traffic heading towards Mangaluru. The development marks the latest milestone in the four‑lane expansion of the highway that cuts through the coastal town.
Project officials say the work on the remaining sections is advancing quickly enough to meet the target of completing the entire upgrade by the end of October, although a few stretches still face land‑related disputes. The stretch that has just opened is part of a broader plan that also includes a service road reaching the downtown area, which is currently under construction.
Motorists continue to encounter bottlenecks around Noor Masjid and Shamsuddin Circle. Vehicles moving from the circle toward the town centre must cross the main carriageway to access the opposite side, a maneuver that becomes difficult during peak hours. The reverse flow, from downtown toward the circle, also suffers from congestion, as does traffic on the highway heading north from Mangaluru to Honnavar, where vehicles merge with heavy downtown traffic.
Some service‑road sections have been finished, notably the links from the Ghazali Complex side via Noor Masjid and from Rangeen Katta. Work on the remaining stretches is ongoing, and the exact traffic pattern for vehicles traveling from downtown toward Anjuman College, the government hospital and Santhe Market via the highway has yet to be finalized.
IRB Infrastructure, the contractor overseeing the project, is expected to submit a detailed plan for the unfinished service‑road sections soon. Satish Kumar, president of the National Highway Horata Samiti, confirmed that IRB has pledged to finish the work by the end of October. He added that, given the current construction pace, the deadline appears achievable, but unresolved disputes could cause further setbacks.
The four‑lane project, launched in 2013 with an original completion date of 2019, has been delayed repeatedly, leaving the highway incomplete for more than seven years. Local authorities and commuters will be watching closely to see whether the October target is met and how the new infrastructure eases traffic congestion in Bhatkal.
Image: sahilonline.org
📰 Source: Sahil Online