Electrification, signage, service road works progress simultaneously
Surfacing work – hotmixing of both the elevated carriageway and the parallel service roads – is expected to be wrapped up by the end of this month.
MAPUSA
With the promise of easing one of Goa’s most congested traffic stretches before the festive season, work on the 5.15-km six-lane elevated corridor at Porvorim has entered its final structural phase, with the contractor indicating that the project is on track for a Ganesh Chaturthi opening – well ahead of its official November 2026 deadline.
Senior General Manager MCS Kurup of RRSM Infra Pvt Ltd said that nearly 90 per cent of the superstructure has been completed, marking a significant milestone for the long-delayed infrastructure project that is expected to decongest the busy NH-66 stretch between Porvorim and Mapusa.
Only a small portion of the core structure remains, with around 80 concrete segments – forming approximately five spans – yet to be hoisted.
“The balance work on the superstructure will be completed by the end of May,” Kurup said, adding that once this final phase is completed, the entire elevated stretch will be structurally in place.
The corridor, one of the most ambitious road projects in the state, has been erected on 86 piers and two abutments, and comprises a total of 1,431 segments forming 87 spans.
Alongside the structural work, finishing components such as crash barriers, medians and expansion joints have also gathered pace, with nearly 70 per cent of these “miscellaneous” works already completed.
Crucially, the contractor said that surfacing work – hotmixing of both the elevated carriageway and the parallel service roads – is also expected to be wrapped up by the end of this month, indicating that visible progress on the project is likely to accelerate in the coming weeks.
“We are positive. The plan is to open the corridor for traffic by Ganesh Chaturthi,” Kurup said, echoing the timeline put forward a day earlier by PWD Minister Digambar Kamat.
Finishing works pick up pace
If achieved, the early commissioning could provide major relief to commuters during the peak festive rush, when traffic volumes typically surge across North Goa.
Work on ancillary infrastructure has also been progressing simultaneously.
The project will see the installation of 513 electrical poles, including 172 dual-arm poles on the elevated stretch and 341 single-arm poles along the service roads.
Parallel works to avoid delays
Electrification and signage, often among the last components in highway projects, are being executed in parallel to avoid last-minute delays.
Despite the visible progress, the project has not been without its challenges. Kurup pointed out that executing construction on one of Goa’s busiest corridors posed logistical and operational hurdles.
“We had to work in a highly congested environment, with heavy traffic movement on both sides. Managing construction activity alongside that was a major challenge,” he said.
Space constraints also added to the complexity, particularly at the segment casting and storage yard, where limited room often made the handling and sequencing of the massive concrete segments difficult.
The Porvorim elevated corridor has long been seen as a critical intervention to tackle chronic traffic bottlenecks on the Mapusa–Panaji route, especially during tourist seasons and peak hours.
Delays and slow progress had previously drawn criticism, but the latest update suggests that the project may finally be nearing the finish line.
While the contractor’s optimism aligns with the government’s push for early completion, the coming weeks – particularly the pace of finishing works, safety installations and clearances – will determine whether the ambitious Ganesh Chaturthi deadline can be met.
