21 state highways to be upgraded

BANGALORE: If everything goes well, State Highway 17 (Bangalore-Mysore road) will be called the National Highway17.The National Highway Zone of Karnataka State Public Works Department (PWD) has sent a proposal to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to upgrade 21 State Highways to National Highways.In Karnataka, 21,000 km road comes under the State Highways while 4,500 km comes under the National Highways.Speaking to The New Indian Express,PWD (National Highway zone) Chief Engineer K S Krishna Reddy said that they have submitted 21 State Highways to the Central government to declare them as National Highways."We are awaiting for the nod," he added.However, senior official from PWD said that though most of these roads are already developed to National Highway Standards, the same have not been considered for upgradation as National Highways by the Centre.Sources also confirmed that the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa had written letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in May 2010 regarding this.Now, they are developing existing the State Highways under the Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project (KSHIP).The road improvement works includes upgrading of existing roads to two lanes, strengthening culverts and bridges, constructing new bridges and crossdrainage structures and many more.Krishna Reddy, who is also the project Director of the KSHIP, said that of the 21,000 km, 3,500 km roads are under tender process.