The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been urged to declare the road corridor connecting Channarayapatna, Holenarsipur, Arkalgud, Kodlipet, Madikeri and Virajpet in Karnataka and Makutta in Kerala (on Kerala-Karnataka border) as a national highway.
It is believed that the road network, after being upgraded into a national highway, is expected to spur economic activity in the region, especially in Kodagu which lacks good road connectivity. K
In this connection, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha met NHAI Chairperson Alka Upadhyaya in New Delhi and urged her to declare the road corridor as NH.
As per the feasibility study, the total length of the road is 183 km. The civil work would cost about ₹1,600 crore. The project starts at Channarayapatna and ends at Makutta in Kerala. “Considering the benefits the road connectivity will have in the region, I request you to approve the project soon,” the MP told Ms. Upadhyaya.
The consultants had prepared the alignment plan which was submitted to MoRTH in November2018 for approval. The approval was still awaited. If the said corridor was declared as a national highway, the department concerned can proceed with the preparation of the DPR, he said.
The road corridor connects largely underdeveloped and developing towns and villages. The proposed Channarayapatna-Makutta Road via Kodagu passes through HolenarsIpur, Arkalgud, Shanivarasanthe, Somwarpet, Madapura, Murnad and Virajpet, before ending on the Kerala-Karnataka border.
The existing condition of the road was poor with grossly substandard geometrics which resulted in unwarranted delays and extended travel time. The road corridor needed to be developed as NH will spur economic development of Kodagu.
Kodagu’s tourism potential is not entirely tapped at present mainly due to its poor accessibility to tourists. Madikeri is one of the top tourist destinations in the State with people preferring trekking, nature and heritage walks that have ample scope in Kodagu. The major tourist destinations are Madikeri, Abbey Falls, Talacauvery, Nalknad Palace, Bhagamandala, Omkareshwara Temple, Kakkabe Sri Igguthappa Temple in Madikeri; Cauvery Nisargadhama, Harangi dam, Kudige, Chattahalli Farm in Somawarpet and Nagarahole National Park, Iruppu Falls and Kundada Betta in Virajpet, the letter to NHAI said.
Development of the corridor will establish good connectivity between Madikeri and Kerala which will eventually connect to the new Kannur International airport (via Chovva-Mattannur-Koottupuzha Road). This will allow road access to tourists willing to visit the destinations in Kodagu and Hassan districts, he argued.
Importantly, if the road gets NH status, the travel time will drop by at least 30-40 minutes.
With many sections of the existing road frequently damaged during natural calamities, poor drainage and landslides etc., the road gets closed for traffic on many occasions, making it operational all through the year difficult.
Traffic blocks are common, affecting the economy of the district and region. The development of the road with proper stormwater drainage and slope protection measures will avoid frequent closure of the road due to natural calamities.
The movement of hill products, including spices, is also affected during monsoon causing losses to producers. Proper construction and maintenance of the road corridor on NH standards is the need of the hour, he felt.
