Sat Mar 01 13:43:28 UTC 2025: ## Mangaluru-Tumakuru Highway to be Motorable Before Monsoon

**Mangaluru, March 1, 2025** – The National Highways Division of the Karnataka Public Works Department (NH-PWD) has assured that the Punjalakatte-Charmadi stretch of the Mangaluru-Tumakuru National Highway 73 (NH 73) will be motorable before the southwest monsoon. This follows concerns over last year’s difficult travel conditions due to flooding.

Addressing a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting chaired by Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, Executive Engineer Shivaprasad Ajila stated that all open stretches of the highway will be asphalted, with no further road openings planned before the monsoon.

The NH-PWD is undertaking the widening of a 35 km stretch of NH 73 into a two-lane highway with paved shoulders. While the project, initiated in March 2023, was initially slated for completion by March 2025, delays occurred due to land acquisition issues, forest clearances, and heavy rainfall in 2024. To expedite the work, M/s Mugrodi Constructions was brought in as a subcontractor after the original contractor, M/s D.P. Jain & Co., failed to meet expectations. Mr. Ajila reported significant progress, with a major bridge nearing completion and another already finished. Sixty-four of 114 culverts have also been completed.

Further widening of the Charmadi Ghat stretch (Km 75-86.2) is also underway, with a letter of acceptance issued to M/s SLV Constructions. Work will commence after a tree survey. Widening of the NH 73 Spur Road between Ujire and Periyashanthi is also in progress, pending land acquisition. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner MP Mullai Muhilan, Zilla Panchayat CEO K. Anandh, and Deputy Conservator of Forests Anthony S. Mariappa, among others.

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