Residents of Vamanjoor and Moodbidri in Mangaluru have formally appealed to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to urgently address the design flaws in the service roads being constructed along the crucial NH-169 stretch. An action committee submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting how the current construction is severely disrupting local life instead of facilitating it.
Memorandum Highlights Public Inconvenience
The delegation, which included prominent locals like Rajesh Vamanjoor, Dinkar, Nitin Bangera, Manoj Kumar Vamanjoor, and Swathi S Vamanjoor, presented their grievances to the NHAI project director. They acknowledged that while service roads are essential for separating local traffic from fast-moving highway vehicles, the current execution is fundamentally flawed. The residents stressed that these service roads must be designed for the free and convenient movement of locals, a principle they claim is being violated.
Critical Design Flaws Blocking Access
The core issue lies in the construction methodology. The committee pointed out that in the Vamanjoor area, the new service roads are being elevated to match the height of the national highway. This has created a cascade of problems for the existing road network.
Existing crossroads and PWD roads are now obstructed, with many facing steep, impractical slopes where they meet the elevated service road. In several instances, smaller roads that connect to homes and commercial establishments are getting completely blocked or buried under soil because their level is now too low to access the service road. This has made daily commutes hazardous and inconvenient for travellers.
Shops and Stalls Face New Threats
The problems extend beyond traffic. Shopkeepers and stall owners who had previously relocated their businesses to a regulated distance from the highway, following NHAI guidelines, now face a fresh crisis. The elevated earthwork for the service roads is causing soil to pile up, putting these legally repositioned shops at risk of being covered or having their access cut off.
The action committee has made a clear demand: the NHAI must intervene immediately and redesign the service roads scientifically. The new design must ensure seamless public access and must not disrupt the daily economic and social activities of Vamanjoor. They urge the authority to live up to its mandate of building infrastructure that serves the people, not hinders them.
