Mangalore: The Dakshina Kannada district administration suggested three alternatives routes for vehicles after the closure of Shiradi Ghat from December 1 to May 31, 2015. The alternative routes is said to increase the distance between the coastal city and Hassan by approximately 20 to 22kms for category A vehicles and 139kms for Category B vehicles.

With this, the district administration has decided to completely shut down Shiradi Ghat stretch on the Mangalore-Bangalore National Highway for all type of vehicles for about six months.

Deputy Commissioner A.B Ibrahim, who chaired the meeting on Wednesday instructed the Public Workds Department to review the alternative routes again, if these roads can take the additional vehicle load.

The first alternate route is via Ujire-Charmadi-Mudigere-Belur to Hassan which would increase travelling distance by 20kms. The route is via Ujire-Charmadi-Mudigere-Jannapura, Hanbal-Ane Mahal-Sakeleshpur which would increase distance by 22kms. The distance to Hassan via Shiradi Ghat is 168kms. This is the route suggested for Category A Vehicles which would allow plying of ordinary buses, car, jeeps, LMV like mini trucks and two wheelers. The other route to Hassan is via Madikeri-Hunsur-KR Nagar-Holenarsipur which would increase distance by 139kms. This route is suggested for Category B vehicles like two axle trucks, tankers, Rajahamsa and Volvos.

The Category B vehicles can bypass Hassan and go via Madiker-Ilawala-Srirangapatna-Bangalore route which increases distance by 42kms as against the actual distance of 348kms via Shiradi Ghat.

For vehicles in Udupi district, engineers suggested Udupi-Agume-Theerathalli-Shimoga route for Category A vehicles, which will entail additional 14kms. Another route suggested is Udupi-Karkala-Malaghat-Kudremukh-Kalasa-Kottigehara-Mudigere-Belur which is just 10km extra for Category A vehicles.

For Category B Vehicles, a route which can also be used by Category A vehicles, which increases distance by 59kms is Udupi-Kundapur-Siddapur-Hosangadi-Balebare Ghat- Mastikatte-Ayanoor-Shimoga. Ibrahim said that on the Madikeri route the Koynadu and Sinkona roads which had developed cracks last rains should be repaired and made good for Category B vehicles by November.

The Shiradi Ghat work would be carried out in two packages — the first would be the 13.62 km stretch from Heggadde to Kempu Holey at a cost of Rs 69.90 crore and the second would be from Gulagalale to Heggadde, a stretch of 21kms and from Kempu Holey to Adda Holey, a stretch of 12.38kms at a cost of Rs 85.28 crore.