Won't coincide with closure of Shiradi Ghat.

The National Highways division of the State Public Works Department is likely to invite tenders for improving the 22-km stretch of Charmadi Ghat, another vital link between the coast and the hinterlands, by the first week of December.

The government has sanctioned Rs. 118 crore for the work and the design and the estimates which are in their final stages of preparation, might increase the cost sources told The Hindu. The department is expecting to receive the design and the estimates by the end of this month after which tenders will be invited for the work.

Part of NH 234, connecting Mangaluru with Villupuram in Tamil Nadu via Mudigere, Belur, Sira, Gauribidanur, Chintamani and Tiruvannamalai, Charmadi Ghat is known for its sharp curves and landslips during the monsoon.

The government has decided to strengthen the Ghat stretch to make it an alternative to the Shiradi Ghat, which is being closed for reconstruction from December 15.


THE HINDU