Culvert near Mercado Mall still incomplete
Traffic plies on the bypass service roads. Work on the culvert on the Margao-Varca road dragging on for months now.
MARGAO
The western bypass service roads at Tolleaband-Benaulim have come in handy for motorists from the Salcete coastal belt commuting to Margao.
For, work on the culvert near Mercado Mall along the busy Margao–Varca road has been dragging on for months, severely disrupting traffic.
The Public Works Department (PWD), Roads Division, had undertaken the culvert construction to facilitate quicker drainage of water from the Tolleaband water body into the adjoining River Sal.
This initiative followed the recommendation of R K Pandey, an emissary of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. Pandey was tasked with studying the flood patterns in the Khareband–Tolleaband floodplain, following demands from Benaulim villagers to build the western bypass on stilts.
It has now been over a year since the PWD began work on the culvert, which started on a controversial note due to the culvert being raised above the level of the existing road — a move that sparked safety concerns among locals.
With traffic on the main Margao–Varca road diverted, motorists have been left with no choice but to rely on the bypass service roads to enter and exit Margao.
To address public concerns, the PWD has since built the balance portion of the culvert at road level. However, the work is still incomplete, and according to a PWD official, it may take a few more days before the road is reopened to traffic.
As far as the elevated culvert is concerned, a PWD official has proposed using the raised section as a slipway to connect the main road to the Navelim stretch of the bypass.
