Kundapur: Effectively curbing the menace of speeding and reckless driving is an issue that needs extensive attention of the police and transport authorities, while ensuring that proper infrastructure is in place on National Highway 66.

Slow pace of the flyover work in Kundapur Junction is causing severe inconvenience to the vehicle users, also resulting in accidents of late. As the rains have intensified in the region, stagnation of rainwater in potholes is a problem for vehicle users and pedestrians. It has been almost three years since the work was initiated, but there is no respite from the problems arising from the incomplete flyover project near Shastri Circle here. Several buses, private vehicles and trucks use this stretch and the slow pace of the work is only adding to the woes of commuters.

Civic activist Kenchanoor Somashekar Shetty told Express that though the flyover work commenced about six months back, progress has been slow. “Of the total 40 beams to be used to support the flyover, only eight have been completed and they have taken six months to do this,’’ he said. Without proper drainage system, areas near Sangam Hotel, APMC yard and KSRTC bus stand are affected by artificial flooding whenever it rains hard, he added.

Another civic activist Dr M V Holla told reporters that the service road work is yet to begin in Kundapur and it is adding to the problems arising out of slow pace of flyover work. The work has been stopped from the past two months and there is no clarity when it will begin again. Condemning the apathy of NHAI, he questioned the silence of people’s representatives.

NHAI officials did not respond to the calls made by reporters. Udupi-Chikkamagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje told reporters that she will speak to the NHAI engineers and instruct them to speed up the flyover work.