Would it be more environment friendly if we tunnel & close the surface road?

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This is pure arm chair expert mode, I don't know much about building quality roads. About an year ago, when I was driving through this ghat, and spent hours and hours to cross 40-50 km bad stretch, I noticed this.

• The road had cement/concrete hardened surface at the sharp U-bends
• Relatively speaking, the road parts were broken just before those sharp U bends, and not pricisely at the U-bends.

common sense would be that when you drive through curvy roads, you actually brake hard just before the U-bends. Points where you brake hardest is where the roads surface would suffer the most friction.

So, the stretches before the U-bend would need special hardening and attention, not the U-bend itself.

Just an observation, however stupid it may sound. I have some pictures saved, will try find and upload in a day or two.

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An expressway to M'lore is on Khenys plans..and it would not be surprising if the Govt. gives him the project..btw is it a project?

No..its more a scam..NiCE has made it a hell for the poor farmers..in the Blr-Mysore belt..it will be a repeat if they do the m'lore road..

The tickets costs are also ridiculous and exhorbitant, with no control by the govt..it will be absolute mayhem if done by NICE or NICE like co's!

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Control Sri. BMIC is a vexed thing, and I too sympathize with the farmers. But the bad and broken roads are a problem for me, I am part of 34%+ and growing middle class, can some one please shed a few tears for me too!?

Mangalore in 4-5 hours, Mysore in 1.5 hours will create many many more jobs and productivity than retaining status quo. Coastal area badly needs solid connectivity with the central area. And we are not able to build a simple heavy duty road? Are there no hilly and rainy areas anywhere in the world?  Its a shame that I just can't go to Mangalore in quick time, whether by rail, or road.

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wear the environmentalist hat there..spoiling the few remaining patches of ever green forests.. ;-)

Anyways..as I understand the problem..there are two main issues with the road there..

1. As IDS points out, the load is too high..btw did they say the Iron Ore lorries are banned there now? For the bullet gas tankers..isnt the gas line ready already connecting Hassan to M'lore..they shd use that instead of making these trucks do the unwanted trip many times..

2. Drain issues...as we know these forests are known for their incessant rains and no proper drains will lead to water seeping into the soil below the roads and softening the asphalt which inturn gives way!..the last time I travelled on this road (2 months ago)..I saw them doing the drains..good sign and whats left is giving the right vents for this water and build roads..

So hopefully the new roads should last longer..

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Its a shame that I just can't go to Mangalore in quick time, whether by rail, or road.

Indeed, Its the same distance from chennai as the crow flies. Challenging terrain will require challenging solutions, its not just about laying asphalt/concrete. Can we reengineer the route? If konkan railway can get tunnels why cant roads? Leave the scenic route for joy rides and move the truck/train traffic in tunnels.

I suggest a PPP tunnel like BETL. Technology is tried and tested in most of the western world. In trying to save a few bucks NHAI shouldnt hunt around for diggers like BMRC.

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Now we have a person who is thinking on these lines & willing to make it happen

 

Kheny offers to build Shiradi tunnel road

In the ghats section, it is better to go for tunneling than cutting trees for road widening. It also helps in shortening the travel distance. The government need not spend a penny for any of the road proposals I have submitted

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As we have been discussing, taking the gazette notification as the reason, the NICE PRR tolls have been increasing exhorbitantly..it stands more 3.5 times the NHAI norms today..if hes going to charge that for the shiradi ghat..none will be interested!

Also if he starts setting terms as he did with mysore road land acqusitions none will be interested..below is the nandi road compared to yamuna expressway

 

 

BMIC

Yamuna Expressway

Location

Bangalore-Mysore

Noida-Agra

Length(in Kms)

111

165

Number of lanes

4 Lanes (expandable to 6)

6  Lanes (expandable to 8)

Number of Townships

5

5

Land granted

20,193 acres (4894 additional to be granted)

6,175 acres (4000 additional to be granted)

 

so..land grant and everything needs to get negotiated well to really give kheny this project..if at all..

Btw just travelled on the NHAI built expressway towards hassan from blr..its better than any road I have travelled till date..once that road is done..Mlr will be just 6-8 hrs anyways from blr..

Btw are we also not talking of a direct raliway line to hassan to make the mlr-blr route shorter? If yes, shouldnt we wait for that and take care of the small patch of evergreens that we have??

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Btw just travelled on the NHAI built expressway towards hassan from blr..its better than any road I have travelled till date..once that road is done..Mlr will be just 6-8 hrs anyways from blr..

But, the 40km Saklespur - Uppinangadi stretch itself will take close to two hours, given its condition today (check this), unless you are in a 4-wheel drive SUV may be.

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Leardal is the worlds longest road tunnel of 25kms. What is interesting is the speed of execution, 25kms got built & commissioned in just 5 years.

Source

 

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But, the 40km Saklespur - Uppinangadi stretch itself will take close to two hours, given its condition today (check this), unless you are in a 4-wheel drive SUV may be.

My 6-8 hrs was with the calculation that it will take 3-4 to reach Hassan and 4 hours from there to Mlr..

However as we know, the reason for the road to get spoilt is the bullet tankers on this road..there is already a pipe line drawn from MRPL till Hassan, thats what I heard last 2 yrs ago, but this pipeline is not being used because of the bullet tanker owners mafia..so all it needs is some strong leadership to take tough decissions to stop the tankers on the ghat road and relay a decent road after that..that will surely suffice for years!!

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Still no takers for the road to Mangalore... will there be moksha? But well written article I say... has gone into technicalities all sides of the story etc... good work Raghuram

For motorists, Shiradi Ghat stretch will remain highway to hell

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and whats left are  the bullet tankers..and as mentioned earlier all it needs is comissioning of the pipeline already in place between Mlr and Hassan.. this will also save lot of fuel wastage too..

Whats needed is:

1. Commission the pipe line..stop the bullet tankers

2. Design the water vents well..this places is supposed to get lot of rain and managing water flow is everything to having sustainable roads..

3. Relay roads under independent non-corruptable supervision

 

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That tunnel brahmastra is still appealing but I am not sure what the environmental impact will be. 

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So as you can see its fairly straight except for some small stretches..small tunnels can help here..however for the longer stretches better road laying should take care of things..

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Tunnels are already planned for roads & trains, greens are opposing 4-laning on ghat roads. JICA is preparing the DPR. See links below :

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/259400/tunnels-expressway-proposed-shiradi-ghat.html

http://www.projectsmonitor.com/RAIL/japan-to-prepare-dpr-by-december

http://www.megamedianews.in/index.php/60489/government-proposes-tunnel-on-shiradi-ghat-stretch/

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So restating this another way would be... will the EIA case for the tunnel be made more stronger if the road on the surface was closed for highway traffic?

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The surface road cannot be closed - it will be widened to 4-lane throughout. Distance will be reduced with 4-lane road tunnels & bridges + train tunnels that will be built in way of forest /sensitive areas to preserve the environment & minimize felling of trees, so greens should also be happy & the environment ministry may clear the project since it will be similar to the Mumbai-Pune highway.

Excerpt from the DH report:

It had been proposed to construct five tunnels covering a distance of 7.7 km, four overbridges for a distance of 3.9 km for the expressway. A two-km arch bridge near a valley also forms the part of the project.

However, problems may continue with the truck /tanker /bus mafias that will not allow fast /bullet trains to run. As it is, travel by train takes much longer than bus, even on these miserable roads.

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Short tunnels +planned roads with retaining walls to prevent landslides and a good drainage system should fix the Mlr-Blr road..guess the Japs will do a good job..i.e if they are let to!

Petronet is executing the Mlr-Blr gas pipe line with tapping in Hassan..this should be completed in 2013 and then the bullet tankers will also reduse on this section!

One last thing..sincerely wish that Khenys proposals on this are scrapped totally!

 

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