In the light of several fatal accidents on the newly inaugurated Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and a host of other teething issues, a technical committee will be set up to study and offer suggestions for changes while a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be convened to discuss the issue.
The decision to set up a technical committee was taken at a meeting of highway officials and elected representatives from Mandya that was chaired by Agriculture Minister and Mandya district in-charge N. Cheluvarayaswamy here on Monday. The committee will study the complaints received from public over various issues and certain unscientific works taken up with respect to the expressway, and submit a report to the government. It was also decided to hold a meeting chaired by Mr. Siddaramaiah and bring the issues to the notice of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The reasons for high incidence of accidents, identifying accident-prone zones, reasons for water logging on the highway and service road that is affecting movement of traffic, damage of street lights causing distress for motorists in the night, problems of parking, need for ambulance services and skywalks were among many issues that were raised during the meeting. Questions were also raised as to how toll was being collected despite the road works not being completed and officers were asked about the details of conditions in the agreement to collect toll. The problems of footpath, entry and exit points in Maddur, Mandya and Srirangapatna were also pointed out.
Among others, MP Sumaltha Ambaresh, legislators Dinesh Gooli Gowda, P.M. Narendraswamy, Madhu Made Gowda, Ravikumar Ganiga and Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda took part in the meeting.
Grants sought from Centre
Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi met Mr. Gadkari in Delhi seeking funds for improvement of the existing national highway (old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway) since major towns such as Bidadi, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Maddur, Mandya, Srirangapatna, and Mysuru are connected.
The State has also urged the Centre to construct a flyover at the expressway-ring road junction in Mysuru on National Highway 275.
Among others, the State has also proposed construction of a tunnel to Shiradi Ghat section of NH-75, elevated corridor in Belagavi city on NH-44, part ring roads in Raichur, Gadag and Shivamogga and bypass to Kalaburagi city.
