The long-standing confusion over the proposed flyovers at Nanthoor and KPT on National Highway-66 will be cleared soon, Deputy Commissioner Darshan H V said on Thursday. He stated that the National Highways Authority of India (National Highways Authority of India) is working on modifying the flyover designs and a clear decision is expected by the end of March.
Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, the DC clarified that the KPT flyover project has not been dropped. He said the aim is not only to reduce traffic at Nanthoor or KPT but to improve overall traffic movement in the city. Several changes are being considered to ensure better long-term traffic management.
He said discussions are ongoing on whether a flyover is needed from Kuloor to Nanthoor, where service roads are required, how much land acquisition is necessary, and what gradients must be maintained. NHAI officials are expected to submit the Detailed Project Report (DPR) by the end of March.
The DC also said talks are underway on developing bypass roads to ease city traffic by connecting NH-66 on both sides, linking NH-66 with NH-75, and connecting NH-75 to NH-73.
On tourism, he said there are plans to promote river tourism and water sports using the Netravati, Phalguni, Nandini, and Shambhavi rivers. Officials from the State Tourism Monitoring Unit have visited the district to support tourism development in coastal regions and help resolve challenges.
Giving an update on the Riverfront project, the DC said 650 metres of the planned 2.1-km promenade has been completed on one side. Work has been delayed at some locations due to court cases, but efforts are being made to resolve them and finish the project soon.
Clarifying concerns over language use, he said there is no restriction on using Tulu, Konkani, or other languages along with Kannada. He stated that his instructions were only to ensure mandatory Kannada usage on name boards, not to stop other languages.
On Pilikula Biological Park, the DC said the High Court has not ordered its closure. He added that talks are in the final stage to bring Pilikula under the Karnataka Zoo Authority, with discussions held on management costs and revenue sharing.
