Mangaluru: Commuters and motorists travelling along the Mangaluru-Athrady State Highway (SH-67) are facing considerable hardship as several stretches of the road have deteriorated, raising concerns over road safety and the lack of lasting repairs.

The highway, which connects several important localities and serves as a key route to Mangaluru International Airport and prominent religious destinations, including Kateel Durga Parameshwari Temple and Porkodi Temple, witnesses considerable traffic throughout the day.

Siraj Bajpe, president of the Bajpe Nagarikara Hitharakshana Vedike, said thousands of devotees from across the country use the highway to visit Kateel and other religious destinations. It is also a preferred route for airport-bound travellers seeking to avoid traffic congestion at Kulur.

“Many travellers heading to the airport prefer this route from Mulki as it is shorter and helps them avoid the bottlenecks at Kulur. Despite its importance, the road remains in a pathetic condition. Repairs undertaken on the stretch do not last even a month or two,” he said.

Questioning the continued neglect of the highway, Siraj said elected representatives, including MLAs, ministers and MPs, frequently travel along the stretch but have failed to ensure a permanent solution.

The residents’ organisation recently staged a protest near Bajpe checkpost and submitted a memorandum to the authorities, urging them to fill the potholes and undertake comprehensive asphalting.

“If the authorities continue with temporary patchwork instead of proper asphalting, we will mobilise residents from across Bajpe and launch a massive protest, including a complete blockade of the state highway,” he warned.

Local resident Ismail Bajpe said several stretches had not received proper asphalting for the past three to four years. The road from the airport entrance towards Kateel, as well as the stretch from Bajpe Church towards Kaikamba and Adoor, was in particularly poor condition, he said.

“The condition of the road has made daily commuting extremely difficult. Earlier, we could reach Mangaluru from Bajpe in about 20 minutes, but the journey now takes nearly 45 minutes. Even ambulances carrying patients face difficulties negotiating the damaged stretches,” he said.

He added that frequent travel on the uneven and pothole-ridden road had also increased vehicle maintenance expenses.

Another resident, Vasanth Bajpe, said the deteriorating road condition was affecting schoolchildren, daily commuters, employees and devotees travelling to religious destinations in the region.

Pointing out that Bajpe has at least 12 schools, he said students and school vehicles approaching the junction from different directions were particularly affected by the poor road conditions. He also highlighted the absence of proper drainage facilities along several stretches, noting that the lack of roadside drains had further aggravated the problem.

Residents have called on the authorities to move beyond temporary repairs and take up comprehensive road asphalting and drainage works to ensure safer and smoother travel along the busy highway.