NH develops crack within a month of inauguration

Shivamogga: The much-awaited Shivamogga– Chitradurga National Highway was recently inaugurated after the completion of its construction. However, within just a month of the inauguration, the poor quality of the work has come to light. The highway, constructed at a cost of ₹527 crore, has already developed cracks. National Highway 13, which connects Shivamogga to Chitradurga, has reportedly cracked at 13 locations. The fact that the road began to collapse within a month of inauguration has raised serious concerns about the quality of construction. A single spell of rain was enough to expose the substandard nature of the work.

This 106-kilometre stretch of NH-13 was constructed at a cost of ₹527 crore. As part of the project, a bridge across the Bhadra River near Holehonnu was also built at an additional cost of ₹80 crore. The highway was inaugurated last month by MP B.Y. Raghavendra.

Now that cracks have appeared on the road, local residents have expressed strong resentment, staging protests on the highway demanding strict action against the contractor and engineers involved in the project. Residents from the Malnad region, who travel to Bengaluru using this route, were happy to finally have a better road. However, the recent damages have sparked widespread criticism and public outrage.

Protesters have demanded legal and disciplinary action against the contractor and responsible engineers. Locals argue that the road, funded with public money, should have been built to last and not deteriorate within a month. Residents who use the Bhadra bridge daily are now worried, as the retaining walls of the bridge are reportedly weak and pose a threat of collapse. The poor construction is seen as a clear result of official negligence and contractor apathy. There is growing pressure on the government to take immediate and strict action against those responsible for this substandard work.