The long-pending four-laning work on the 54-km Khanapur–Anmod section of the Belagavi–Goa National Highway continues to remain incomplete, despite the extended deadline of May 2026 having already passed.
Several flyovers, bridges, retaining walls and road stretches are yet to be completed. With heavy monsoon rains battering the region, deep potholes have developed along temporary road diversions, causing severe inconvenience and safety concerns for motorists.
Heavy vehicles and trucks carrying goods are reportedly getting stuck in potholes and slushy stretches. There are growing concerns that if the situation worsens, traffic movement on the Ramnagar–Goa road could once again face disruption during the monsoon season.
The Belagavi–Goa National Highway is a crucial interstate route connecting Karnataka and Goa. The highway plays a significant role in trade, industry and tourism, with thousands of trucks, buses, private vehicles and tourists using the route regularly.
The four-laning project has been under construction for nearly eight years. During the initial phase, contractor DBL reportedly completed nearly half of the work within two years, raising expectations that the remaining portion would also be finished quickly. However, subsequent changes in contractors, administrative issues and slow progress led to repeated delays.
The remaining work, which began in March 2024, was initially expected to be completed by March 2025. Following delays, the Central Government reportedly imposed a penalty of around ₹1.5 crore on the contractor and extended the deadline to May 2026.
However, with May already over and July underway, little visible progress has reportedly been made on several critical structures. Multiple flyovers, major and minor bridges and retaining walls between Ramnagar and Anmod remain incomplete.
Temporary roads constructed near unfinished structures have deteriorated considerably due to heavy rainfall. Large potholes and waterlogged stretches have made travel difficult, particularly for heavy vehicles.
With the monsoon intensifying across the Western Ghats region, commuters are seeking urgent repairs to damaged stretches and faster completion of the remaining highway works to ensure safe and uninterrupted connectivity between Belagavi and Goa.
