Green Signal for Four-Lane Road to Sambra Airport: 72 Crore Project Cleared

In a move set to ease traffic woes for commuters heading to Sambra Airport, the Karnataka Public Works Department (PWD) has approved the widening of the Nilji–Sambra stretch into a four-lane road. This comes after persistent public demand for the upgrade of the currently narrow two-lane section that connects Nilji to the airport.

PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi announced that ₹17 crore has been sanctioned for land acquisition and ₹55 crore for construction, totalling ₹72 crore for the 4-kilometer project. The upgraded road will feature a central divider, footpaths on both sides, and street lighting.

Currently, a four-lane road exists only from the National Highway to Nilji. The remaining stretch to the airport remains a bottleneck, with thousands of vehicles using it daily, leading to congestion and delays. The proposed development is aimed at ensuring smoother and safer connectivity to the rapidly growing airport.

“We aim to complete land acquisition within three weeks, float tenders in a month, and finish construction in four to five months,” Minister Jarkiholi stated, adding that the road is expected to be inaugurated during the Karnataka Legislature’s winter session in December.

In addition, a long-term project to build a flyover connecting Sambra Airport directly to the city center is underway and expected to be completed within two years. Once operational, this flyover will significantly reduce travel time for passengers arriving in Belagavi.

The minister also highlighted traffic challenges near Gandhi Nagar on the national highway. Currently, a single service road on that stretch serves as the only entry point into Belagavi for vehicles from Hubballi-Dharwad, Bailahongal. Jarkiholi acknowledged growing public demand for an additional service road to ease congestion and confirmed that the proposal is under consideration.