Ballari: Lack of access by both air and road has long been the bane of tourism at the World heritage site of Hampi, but with the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approving the four laning of the Hubbali-Hosapete section of national highway-63, the solution could be on the way.
Once the road between Hubbali and Hosapete is four-laned, the journey between Hubbali and Hampi could be reduced from the present five hours to just two, giving it easier access to the airport, according to official sources.
Costing Rs.2272.20 crore and covering 144 kms of road, the project will be executed under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-IV on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis.
A senior officer of the NHAI, Dharwad says the land acquisition for the project will begin soon and the work could get underway in about seven to eight months . “The construction will be finished in 30 months,” he added.
Welcoming the four laning of the road, Mr Hothur Mohammed Iqbal, secretary of Hosapete-Ballari-Sandur Mine Owners Association, says it will expedite the building of infrastructure in north Karnataka and reduce both the cost of travel and journey time in the Hubballi and Hospet section.
"The development of this stretch will also improve socio-economic condition of the region. It will also aid transportation of minerals and metals from Ballari to ports in Karwar and Goa," he said. The project was appraised by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) in its meeting held in March this year.
