Davanagere: The Pune–Bengaluru National Highway 48, despite multiple upgrades, continues to face major issues affecting safety and traffic flow in Davanagere. Initially widened to four lanes in 2002–03 and later to six lanes in 2018, the stretch between Harihar and Davanagere remains incomplete.A long-standing dispute between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and villagers over an underpass near Kundawada on the city outskirts has delayed progress. Of the 23 km stretch between Davanagere and Harihar, 13 km spanning from Shamanur bridge to Harihar bypass lacks a service road.Despite 2 years of construction efforts, no completion date was provided, leaving residents of Bati, Bannikodu, Shamshipur, Old Kunduwada, and New Kunduwada grappling with unresolved issues. Kundawada villagers have demanded an 18-metre-wide underpass to facilitate smooth passage of tractors carrying heavy loads and fodder, insisting on a direct connection to the village.Delays in addressing these demands have resulted in the project’s overdue completion. Additionally, a mandatory service road essential for supporting agricultural activities in adjacent villages is still incomplete.The national highway also grapples with the proliferation of unauthorised roadside eateries, which have emerged without proper authorisation. These establishments, often bypassing coordination between the highway authority, police, local bodies, and the revenue department, compromise traffic flow.Grills installed to prevent unauthorised access have been breached by eateries, hotels, and petrol stations seeking to attract customers, leading to blocked rainwater drains and disrupted highway traffic. Moreover, advertising billboards along both sides of NH 48 have been implicated in increasing accidents by obscuring drivers’ views and causing distractions.“We have demanded a wide underpass at the entry of Kundawada village because our villagers practise agriculture. It will be difficult to transport our agricultural produce from one side to another if a small underpass is constructed. But the authorities of NHAI did not respond, so we have stopped the highway work,” clarified Lokappa Suragond, a villager from Kundawada.Another villager, Kiran KV, criticised the negligence of officers who stopped work a long time ago. The lack of willpower to complete the project, even among authorities and elected representatives, makes the stretch between Davanagere and Harihar unfit for use. “NHAI authorities should solve all the issues and speed up the work for smooth traffic movement on the national highway,” he demanded.TOI made efforts to contact NHAI authorities, but they were not available to comment on it.
