Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated India’s second longest cable-stayed Sigandur bridge across the Sharavathi backwaters in Sagar taluk of Shivamogga district in Karnataka today.

The bridge between Sagara and Marakutika covers 2.44 kms and is 16 meters wide. Constructed at a cost of over 470 crore rupees, this bridge will reduce the distance from Sagara town to Sigandur where the famous Chowdeshwari temple is situated. After the construction of the Linganamakki dam in the 1960s, many villages in Sagar taluk had lost connectivity. Speaking on the occasion, the minister named the bridge after goddess Chowdeshwari devi.

He informed that the length of National highways in Karnataka has increased from 6707 kms in 2014 to 9424 kms today. By the end of five years of Central Government tenure, he added that five lakh crore rupees worth of road projects will be completed in the state. The Belagavi-Hungund-Rachur corridor that will reduce the travel distance from six to 2.5 hours will be ready by 2027, Hassan Raichur highway expansion works will be over by December 2028, Tumkuru Shivamogga lane by the end of this year, Mysuru Madakeri four laning and Chitradurga-Shimoga roads by next year.

At the national level, the minister informed that Ladakh Leh road passing by Jojila tunnel will be inaugurated next year. Surat Chennai highway development passing by six states will be ready by next year. This will reduce the distance to Bengaluru by 280 kms and to Chennai by 320 kms. The Bengaluru Chennai Expressway will be completed in six months and reduce the travel time between two important cities from eight to two hours.