No rain, but abundance of potholes on Agumbe Ghat

Notwithstanding the poor rainfall this year, the restored 14 hairpin bends of Agumbe Ghat are riddled with craters and potholes thereby making driving on the stretch a miserable experience. The ghat on the Malpe-Tirthahalli National Highway 169A connects Udupi district in coastal Karnataka with Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts on the Western Ghats.

The National Highways division of Karnataka Public Works Department (PWD) had restored the hairpin bends that were battered during the torrential 2025 rainy season just before the onset of the current monsoon season. However, within three months, the bitumen concrete on these bends was washed away leaving behind huge craters and potholes.

“Driving through the ghat is a nightmarish experience,” says Krishnappa, who drives a mini bus between Mangaluru and Shivamogga through the ghat. Potholes and craters slows down the speed of vehicle thereby causing frequent traffic snarls on the ghat. It is another matter that the vehicular traffic through Agumbe Ghat has increased manifolds during recent times, Mr. Krishnappa said.

Sebastian Francis, who travels between Udupi and Tirthahalli on a regular basis in his car, said, “At times, it takes more than 45 minutes to cross the 9-km ghat stretch because of the pathetic condition of the road and heavy traffic. The authorities concerned should provide a permanent solution to this recurring problem.”

Performance-based contract

On September 15, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Member of Parliament Kota Srinivas Poojary said the Union Road Transport Ministry has sanctioned ₹72 crore for the upkeep of NH 169A between Hebri and Agumbe (about 20 km), including Agumbe Ghat.

Union Road Transport Ministry has sanctioned ₹72 crore for the upkeep of Malpe-Tirthahalli National Highway 169A between Hebri in Udupi district and Agumbe in Shivamogga district through performance-based maintenance contract for five years.
| Photo Credit:
ANIL KUMAR SASTRY

A senior NH-PWD engineer told The Hindu that tenders would soon be invited to award a performance-based maintenance contract (PBMC) to maintain the 20-km stretch for five years. At present, a short-term maintenance contract is in force, and the problem of potholes and craters on Agumbe Ghat would soon be fixed, he assured.

Under the PBMC, the chosen contractor would be paid based on meeting specific road condition standards, including maintaining 40 mm bitumen concrete for the highway stretch rather than for completing individual repair work. Throughout the contract period, the contractor has to maintain the highway in good condition adhering to the specified levels of pavement quality, drainage, and safety. Payments would be made through a regular performance matrix.

Detailed project report

The engineer said MoRTH has sanctioned ₹2.4 crore additional funds for preparing a detailed project report for a tunnel/four-lane road in lieu of the Agumbe Ghat stretch. The bids are expected to be opened in October while preparation of the DPR could take about two years, he added.