Battered stretches at hairpin curves of Agumbe Ghat to be repaired soon

Hundreds of road users who had been upset with the battered road condition at the hairpin curves of Agumbe Ghat can heave a sigh of relief as the National Highways Division of the Karnataka Public Works Department will soon undertake restoration of the affected stretches.

“Annual maintenance works have already started from Hebri towards Agumbe while affected stretches of Malpe-Tirthahalli NH 169A till about Someshwara have been fixed,” a senior NH-PWD engineer told The Hindu on Saturday (January 3, 2026). Battered stretches on Agumbe Ghat would be fixed in about a week, he added.

Agumbe Ghat has been a crucial link between Udupi and Shivamogga/ Chikkamagaluru districts. Over the years, vehicular traffic, particularly the number of private cars have increased manifolds with tourists visiting natural and religious attractions in these districts, including Sringeri, Horanadu etc.

Bitumen surface had worn out at majority of the 14 hairpin curves along the about 10 km Ghat stretch, even as potholes and craters were formed during the prolonged Monsoon in 2025. Besides making navigation difficult for drivers, the battered stretches had also been causing traffic pileups because of the slow movement of vehicles.

The engineer said that though tenders were called soon after the Monsoon, the same were rejected on technical grounds. It took time to finalise fresh tenders and commence the annual maintenance works. The chosen contractor, besides fixing damaged stretches, would also maintain the highway for one year, he added.

The recently installed convex mirrors at all the hairpin bends appear to have helped drivers to ensure smooth negotiation of curves, the engineer said. Those driving down from Agumbe were able to take prior caution after watching approaching vehicles from Someshwara and give them way, he said.

Convex mirrors, to some extent, were able to address the blind curves at the hairpin bends, the engineer added.