Work on RUB on NH 75 at Padil nearing completion.

Traffic snarls frightening travellers between Mangaluru and B.C. Road on National Highway 75 at Padil will soon wane away as the work on the new Rail Under Bridge (RUB) is nearing completion.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is busy giving finishing touches for the approach roads for the new RUB even as it is likely to be opened for traffic by March-end. At present, vehicles move beneath the Mangaluru Junction-Padil section of the railway line under the old narrow RUB even though the NH on both the sides is made four-lane under the Port Connectivity Project of NHAI. Construction of new RUB got delayed following differences of opinion between the Railways and NHAI and finally gained momentum last year. A senior official with the Southern Railway told The Hindu that pushing of concrete boxes for the new RUB is almost over, except for one box, which would be done within a fortnight. NHAI has to complete the work on approach roads, he said.

NHAI Project Director Z. Samson Vijay Kumar told The Hindu that work on approach roads is going on and the section may be opened for traffic by March-April. To be on the safer side, Mr. Vijay Kumar added that the entire work would be over before the onset of monsoon. Concrete box pushing technology was adopted for the construction of the RUB after inserting a temporary steel girder beneath the railway lines. Incidentally, Southern Railway has also taken up doubling of the line between Mangaluru Junction and Panambur passing over the bridge.

The Railway official said after commissioning of the new RUB, Railways would close down the existing RUB for traffic temporarily. The old RUB, which has steel girders, would also get concrete boxes for enhanced safety as well as wider road space below, he said. Placing these concrete boxes would not take much time as the work does not involve soil excavation and it might get completed in a couple of months. Completion of both the RUBs with concrete boxes would ensure seamless movement of vehicles, the official added.

THE HINDU