Key road infrastructure projects connecting Mangaluru to the rest of Karnataka are expected to be completed by mid-2026. This will improve connectivity and boost industrial growth.
A view of National Highway 169 at Vamanjoor village, in Mangaluru taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.
| Photo Credit:
H S Manjunath
Works on key road infrastructure projects connecting Mangaluru to the rest of Karnataka are on track for completion by mid-2026. These projects span three National Highways (NH) – 75, 169 and 66 – and are expected to significantly improve connectivity to and from Mangaluru.
Of the five sanctioned projects with a total length of 154.55 km, construction works have been completed on 127.5 km. The government’s reply in the Lok Sabha (LS) recently suggested that works on individual stretches will be completed between November-end and mid-2026.
Works underway
Three major stretches – Periyashanthi-BC Road Town (48.49 km), Periyashanthi-Adda Holey (15.13 km), and Hassan-Maranahally (45.14 km) – on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru corridor of NH-75 are in various stages of completion.
Periyashanthi-BC Road Town stretch is the longest among the three. In a LS reply, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Highways, said works on this stretch would be over by November, with only 6.67 km yet to be completed. Mangaluru is already connected to BC Road Town via NH-75.
Works are pending on a 0.43-km stretch on the Periyashanthi-Adda Holey road. Construction of the pending 1.66 km on Hassan-Maranahally stretch is expected to conclude by December-end.
‘Port’able connectivity
Works on the 45.01-km-long highway between Sanoor in Karkala, Udupi district, and Bikarnakatte in Mangaluru on NH-169 are expected to be over by June 30, 2026, according to a LS reply. Of the total stretch, works have been completed on 27.5 km.
Gadkari’s reply also mentioned a six-lane bridge being built across the Phalguni on NH-66, near New Mangalore Port (NMP).
According to N Kumar, an expert on the shipping sector in Mangaluru, the upcoming highway projects will provide better connectivity between NMP and the hinterland, and boost industrial growth in the region.
Road widening works on NH-169 will significantly reduce travel time between Mangaluru and tourist centres like Moodbidri and Karkala. These locations are popular among cruise ship tourists.
Works on various highway projects have seen rapid progress in the last 12-15 months, said Kumar, attributing it to the coordinated efforts of Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta. NHAI is working very hard to provide better connectivity between Mangaluru and the rest of the State, he added.
Published on August 25, 2025
