BELAGAVI
In what will be good news to motorists and commuters between Belagavi and Goa region, work on the long-pending Macche-Halga bypass on the Belagavi-Goa highway NH748AA has resumed.
Sidelining over four years of stiff opposition by a certain group of farmers, authorities have commenced work on the bypass which has been pending since 2019.
Surprisingly, no agitations were seen at the site, whereas a large number of farmers staged an agitation in support of the completion of the bypass.
Apart from offering a shortcut to heavy traffic movement coming from Karwar and Goa heading to Hyderabad and Kolhapur, this 9.24 km bypass after completion is also expected to ease traffic congestion in Belagavi city caused due to the movement of long-distance and heavy vehicles. It will also save travel time due to hassle free traffic movement.
The bypass is a 30-km stretch of the six-lane 153 km Belagavi-Panaji Highway 748 and 21 kms of the highway between Khanapur and Macche was completed in 2023, with the toll collection already commenced.
However, citing a stay by the Karnataka High Court, the farmers had been staging stiff agitation not allowing the completion of this stretch.
“There is no stay. Some people objecting to this connectivity are spreading rumours about the stay. Earlier, the stay was granted which was vacated a year back. However, the road has recommenced in full swing under police protection and is likely to be completed within 15 months from now,” NHAI Project Director Bhuvanesh Kumar told The Goan.
According to Kumar, many structures including a Railway Over Bridge (ROB) and vehicular underpasses are there, so will take approximately 15 months.
“The project was started in March 2019. The total project length between Khanapur and Halaga touching the Pune-Bengaluru highway is 30 kms. Except bypass, the project length of 21 kms has been completed, he said.
“The Belagavi-Khanapur section of NH748 (old NH4A) rigid (concrete) pavement of 20.76 kms was already completed more than a year back. The remaining 9.24 kms in length has now been taken up and they will include 5 underpasses, 1 ROB, 4 bus shelters, 6.4 kms of highway lighting and 12.80 kms service road,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, in a surprising turn of events, farmers who had staged a fierce agitation were not seen, whereas a group of farmers supporting the work and demanding completion of the bypass were seen agitating at the Deputy Commissioner's office compound here.
