Proposed Shiradi Ghat bypass to cost Rs 10k cr

A permanent solution for travelling public on the notorious Shiradi Ghat road on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru national highway will come at a high cost. An estimated Rs 10,000 crore is the cost of the four-lane, 23-km-long pass planned at the Ghat, which includes 12.41 km of tunnel. The feasibility study for constructing the bypass has begun. But that does not mean that one can see light at the end of the tunnel soon. Even to complete the formalities of obtaining the basic permissions to give a push to the project on ground, it would require at least two years. The state has entrusted the work of preparing a feasibility report to Geoconsult India Private Limited. The cost of the project would have to be shared by the Centre and the State at a ratio of 60:40. As per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the projected cost for building the bypass as per the Indian Road Congress standard could be about Rs 10,000 crore. PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa had already announced the cost of the project. The existing two-lane Shiradi Ghat road is nearly 26 km, while the proposed bypass would be three km shorter. But there would be a vast difference between the two stretches in terms of quality and safety.   - Deccan Herald