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MANGALORE: Here is good news for those who use the battered Shiradi Ghat to reach the state capital. The National Highways has sent two proposals to the ministry of state for road transport and highways, New Delhi, to renew and strengthen the damaged 47-km stretch.
 
Sources said two estimates of Rs 105 crore and Rs 84 crore have been sent to the ministry by the chief engineer on October 10 this year. The first costlier option includes rigid (concrete) pavement of some select stretches and the other is asphalting. The work will be done in such a way that the proposed four-laning work from Hassan to BC Road can be integrated into the existing road.
 
"We have to wait and see which proposal will be accepted,"’ said an engineer.
 
However, the execution will take two to three months after getting approval from the ministry since the work has to be tendered. The work is unlikely to start this year. At present, the NH has deteriorated so much that even multi-axle Volvos do not offer much comfort and those travelling by the super deluxe and ordinary express buses get a bone jarring ride.
 
The nightmare starts right from Mani, about 35 km from Mangalore and ends a few kilometres after Sakleshpur near Ballupet. The start of the Ghat section near Gundya is indicated by violent jarring and shaking of the bones a few kilometres before the check post itself which does not even spare the Volvo passengers.
 
For Subrahmanya B (name changed), conductor of one of the Airavats, it’s a recurring frightening experience every alternate day. "I have not seen this road in good condition after the mines trucks started operating seven years ago. The sub-standard road work is also doing no good to the road,’’ he said.
 
Subrahmanya has been a conductor for 25 years. For him, the assurances of Union ministers, including Oscar Fernandes, who hail from the district does not offer any hope.
 
"How many times have we heard them making tall claims? How does it matter to them when they never travel on this road? We can only grumble and hold on to our precious life while travelling. Does it matter to union petroleum minister Veerappa Moily that lakhs of litres of precious fuel is wasted due to bad roads,’’ he rued.
 
The Mangalore-Bangalore journey in good old times used to be seven hours during day. Now, it stretches to more than 8.30 hours.
 
"We used to cross the Ghats in 45 minutes. Now even 90 minutes isn’t sufficient,’’ says a driver who gets memos when tyres and silencers get damaged. The entire stretch has deep pits and even the concrete road on the bridges is so worn out that iron rods can be seen jutting out.