Mangaluru: A major traffic bottleneck on the road leading to the renowned Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple is set to ease, with the govt sanctioning Rs 33 crore for its development.Under the project, the road will be widened to 14 metres and a new bridge will be constructed parallel to the existing bridge, which dates back to 1936. The project is expected to improve traffic flow and provide safer, smoother access to the temple. In fact, devotees from various parts of the country visit the temple. Especially during festivals the footfall at the temple crosses one lakh.However, proper approach roads has been a major inconvenience that the devotees face while travelling. Harinarayana Asranna, temple’s priest, told TOI that road congestion has been one of the major issues that Kateel town has been facing. “It is mainly due to the state highway stretch that passes right in front of the temple. The temple management has been putting pressure on the govt to sanction funds for the development of the road. Following this, the state govt has sanctioned a new bridge as well as a widened bypass road for the state highway,” he said.Stating that the govt has earmarked Rs 33 crore for the purpose, Asranna said that an estimation work in this regard is under progress. “A detailed project report will be prepared. Once the report is prepared, the tender process will begin. Once the DPR and tender process are completed, the work is likely to be completed in 2027-28,” he added. The temple has ample space for the parking. While the temple has permanent parking facilities to accommodate about 300 vehicles, additional arrangements are also being made, for the festival season, he added.
