Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MSP)

Mangalore, Jun 5: As the district administration has barred traffic on a stretch of the National Highway 17 between Honnakatte and Munchoor Cross on either sides of Suratkal town for ten days, all vehicles moving between Udupi and Mangalore have taken to circuitous routes. Traffic snarls have become the order of the day now, at Kavoor, Bajpe, Kateel, Kana, Kulaigudde etc, falling on the route now being taken by the vehicles.

Roads are narrow with buildings on both sides at places like Kateel and Bajpe. The problem has also become acute on account of the unrestricted movement of bullet tankers carrying liquefied gas, iron ore laden trucks and also those returning after offloading the ore. The traffic police have been regulating traffic movement at critical points like Honnakatte, Kana etc but the problem is too acute to be handled. Suratkal police sub-inspector Jagadish informed that the HPCL officials have agreed not to send bullet tankers during peak traffic hours.

Besides the roads that are battered by the heavy vehicles, the Gurpur bridge is showing signs of becoming  a casualty. The airport road remains clogged with vehicles most of the time because of the movement of trucks that form a serpentine queue on this narrow, winding road. Express buses too have been unable to reach their destinations on time and passengers bound for Suratkal too are facing lot of problems.