Mangaluru: The second phase of road reconstruction of the Shiradi Ghat stretch on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway is to begin by September this year after the monsoon and it is expected to be completed by March next, official sources said.

The package involves concreting a 13 km stretch between Kempu Hole guesthouse and Adda Hole near Gundya and bitumen laying on a 21 km of stretch between Gulagale and Heggadde.

GVR Infra Projects Ltd had taken up the contract to execute the work at a cost of Rs 118 crore.

Eleven of the total of 25 culverts on the stretch had been rebuilt and the remaining could be done only after completely stopping vehicular movement on the ghat section, the sources said.

The top portion of Shiradi Ghat had been reconstructed with concrete last year.