Udupi : A proposal has been submitted to construct a 28-km-long bicycle track along the coast from Padubidri beach to Padukere beach in Udupi district. The cycle track would help in promoting not just eco-friendly tourism but also shoreline tourism in the district.

The proposal is part of the master plan for tourism development in Udupi district. According to the proposal, the cycle track would be developed in two phases on the road belonging to the Department of Fisheries.

In the first phase, the cycle track would be developed on the 13-km road from Padubidri beach to Kaup beach. In the second phase, a 15-km track would be developed from Kaup beach to Padukere beach. But the width of the road from Padubidri beach to Padukere beach varies from 3.5 metres to 5 metres in different places.

According to the information provided by the Department of Tourism, in the first phase, the road is 5-metre wide for 2.5 km, while for the remaining 10.5 km, it is 3.5-metres wide. In the second phase, the road is 5-metres wide for 2 km, while the remaining 13 km, it is 3.5-metres wide. “But there is provision to extend the road in some places from 3.5 metres to 5 metres on the Padubidri–Padukere road. The idea is to extend where possible. As per our estimates, the road can be widened to five to six metres for 10 km in both the phases,” Chandrashekhar Naik, Assistant Director of Tourism.

While there will be separate cycle track in the area where the road is 5-metres wide, in the rest of the area, traffic signs would be installed and cycles would have to move along with other vehicles. The cost of developing an independent cycle track has been estimated at Rs.7 crore per km, while it is Rs.25 lakh per km for a retrofitted cycle track.

“The development of the cycle track will give a new dimension to coastal tourism,” said Mr. Naik.

The proposal has been sent to the Tourism Department in Bengaluru for its approval.