Karwar: Following a series of objections, protests, and political discussions, the district administration has opted to allow public traffic back into the city’s tunnel route. However, there is a condition attached to this decision – a technical inspection of the tunnel is scheduled for October 8th.
The National Highway Authority’s project director has received instructions to halt traffic in the tunnel connecting Karwar to Binaga on National Highway 66 and facilitate a third-party inspection. Due to the heavy workload, the NHAI has notified that expert technicians will conduct the technical inspection on Monday, with the actual inspection date set for October 8th. The initial traffic restriction notice has been rescinded at the request of the NHAI’s project director, who stressed the significance of maintaining traffic flow through the tunnel for the convenience of road users and to avoid any inconvenience arising from the inspection delay.
The Project Director of the National Highways Authority has been made accountable for any occurrences in Tunnels 1 and 2 until October 8th. The district administration has issued a directive indicating that they will not entertain any additional communication on this issue.
In the rainy season, worries emerged over rainwater seepage and safety problems within the tunnel. As a result, the district in-charge minister, Mankal Vaidya, ordered the tunnel’s closure to prioritize public safety. He also directed NHAI to provide a safety certificate for the tunnel’s reopening. Nevertheless, uncertainty surrounding the safety certificate led to public opposition to the resumption of tunnel traffic.
Lately, there has been ongoing pressure to reopen the tunnel, which has also sparked political disputes. On September 29th, a substantial effort led by MLC Ganapathi Ulvekar was made to push for the tunnel’s reopening. The District Commissioner (DC) visited the location and requested a two-day delay.
At present, the tunnel has been made obstruction-free, enabling traffic flow during the morning hours. On Monday evening, the district administration released an order authorizing the resumption of traffic through the recently reopened tunnel.
