Crater-ridden under-construction underpass becomes a bottleneck between Udupi and Kundapura

Residents of Udupi district and users of Kochi-Panvel National Highway 66 continue to dread the roads that fall under National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), as the agency has left them in the lurch to negotiate the crater-ridden underpass of Kallianapura Santhekatte Grade Separator on NH 66.

“It used to take five to 10 minutes to cross the Santhekatte Junction on Kochi-Panvel National Highway 66 after negotiating criss-crossing vehicles, but now it takes at least 20-30 minutes after the NHAI commenced the Grade Separator work,” lamented Arun Mendonca, a resident of Kundapura. The underpass being constructed for the grade separator has perennially remained crater-ridden throughout the monsoon, forcing vehicles to perform a ‘break dance,’ Mr. Mendonca quipped.

No wet mix application

Gautam Shetty, a resident of Brahmavar, wondered whether the NHAI also appears indifferent to the instructions of the jurisdictional MP. The MP, he said, had directed the agency in August first week to apply wet [bitumen] mix at regular intervals at the underpass as well as the service roads to facilitate smooth vehicular movement. “I haven’t seen a single instance of wet mix being applied in these days, other than the agency completely asphalting the underpass carriageway before the commencement of monsoon,” Mr. Shetty said.

The Santhekatte Junction is a crucial stretch between Udupi and Kundapura and beyond, including Bhatkal and surrounding areas. The pathetic condition of the underpass stretch has been affecting hundreds of office goers and thousands of students who fail to keep up their routine timing, Mr. Shetty added.

The under-construction underpass at Kallianapura Santhekatte Junction on National Highway 66 has remained ridden with craters throughout the Monsoon severely affecting vehicular movement on August 10, in Udupi district. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY

Over two hours traffic jam

Road users were stranded in traffic jams for at least two hours on Sunday, September 15, on both the sides of Santhekatte Junction when the government organised the formation of a human chain to mark International Day of Democracy. The service roads as well as the underpass stretch witnessed bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mr. Shetty said.

Mr. Mendonca noted that the severity of the snarl was more pronounced during the morning and evening peak hours when office goers and students hit the road.

One year deadline

The NHAI had awarded the grade separator construction contract to Hubballi-based M/s Trinity Construction in January 2023 at an estimated cost of ₹24 crore. Though the work was supposed to be completed within a year, presence of boulders in the ground delayed the project.

While the then MP and Minister Shobha Karandlaje had also got two more grade separators/underpasses sanctioned at Ambalpady Junction in Udupi and at Katpadi Junction, work on these two are yet to commence.