Keen to take up h’way-linking project via Kolhapur: Gadkari

Kolhapur: Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the central govt was more than willing to take up the proposed Tawde Hotel-to-Shivaji Bridge project that would link the Pune-Bengaluru and Ratnagiri highways through Kolhapur city.Gadkari, however, said that the Kolhapur civic body should expedite land acquisition for the same and shift the utility services. He said this while responding to a question raised by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik during the ongoing Parliament session.Gadkari clarified that in the last few years, over Rs25,000 crore was approved for road development in Kolhapur district. Many important works were completed or were on the verge of completion. The cost of the flyover between Shiroli and Uchgaon is expected to be Rs913 crore. A road project worth Rs358 crore was approved near Kagal city.Gadkari also made a special speech about Kolhapur in Parliament. "Kolhapur is a world leader in cooperative, agriculture, industry, and tourism. Kolhapur is also leading in the country in terms of per capita income. MP Mahadik continuously pursued the project for the basket bridge. The design of the basket bridge which Mahadik made was the best, so the Road Development Corporation accepted the same design by cancelling their design," the minister said.Earlier, Mahadik thanked the central govt for providing substantial funds for the expansion of various highways connecting Kolhapur."The central govt approved many major projects of the national highway in Kolhapur district. Around Rs2,162 crore was approved for the six-laning concrete road from Kagal to Satara. Works worth Rs5,192 crore is underway for the four-laning concrete road from Kolhapur to Ratnagiri while the four-laning road from Kolhapur to Sangli is being made at Rs1,192 crore," Mahadik said.On Wednesday, he also demanded that the work of constructing a flyover from Tawde Hotel to Chhatrapati Shivaji Bridge in Kolhapur city be expedited. After the completion of the basket bridge for entering the city, traffic congestion on the highway will be reduced.