NHAI to expand elephant underpass near Anmod

The elephant underpass bridge that will be widened near Anmod.

BELAGAVI
The much-delayed 52-km Khanapur–Ramnagar–Anmod stretch faces further uncertainty, with a complete traffic shutdown for a few months on account of road expansion works.

Authorities have confirmed that this section of the National Highway will remain closed for nearly two months as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) undertakes expansion of an elephant underpass near Anmod. The work is expected to begin soon after the monsoon.

With no provision for diversions, traffic movement on this critical stretch will come to a complete halt.

“Four of five elephant underpasses are complete, while the 6-metre-wide bridge near Anmod at Castle Rock Cross will be widened to 9 metres,” NH Project Director Bhuvanesh Kumar told The Goan.

He confirmed that traffic between Anmod and Ramnagar will be stopped entirely during construction.

In addition to the underpass, two flyovers at railway crossings and a pedestrian underpass near Gunji village are yet to be built.

With deadlines repeatedly missed and commuters facing mounting hardships, public anger is growing. Villagers and transporters along the route have demanded urgent measures to expedite the work and ensure timely completion of the long-pending highway.

The 153-km NH-748 project began in October 2018, with a revised completion deadline set for May 2024. While the 30-km six-lane Belagavi–Khanapur segment is nearing completion, progress on the Khanapur–Anmod portion has been slow.

Work on this stretch faced multiple setbacks, including a complete halt during the Covid pandemic and a legal stay by environmentalists in 2019.

Although the stay was vacated in March 2021, the original contractor, Dilip Buildcon, withdrew, citing losses. The project was subsequently handed over to V M Matere Infrastructure (India) Pvt Ltd, but work has crawled at a snail’s pace.

The situation worsened in July this year when a portion of the road at Anmod Ghat caved in on the Goa side, prompting the South Goa Collector to ban vehicular movement from July 5 to September 2.

The ban, still in effect, has drawn strong opposition from truckers’ associations and local residents, who allege neglect by authorities.