Centre approves extension of Verna flyover up to western bypass to ease traffic woes

MARGAO
There’s good news in store for motorists travelling on the NH66 as well as the residents of Nagoa and Verna villages.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport has accepted Goa government’s plea to extend the proposed Verna flyover beyond the Pirnim-Verna junction right up to the western bypass at Verna. This implies that the proposed flyover will touch the Verna bypass as against the early proposal to build the flyover up to the Maharaja hotel.

Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira on Friday announced that the Centre has agreed to connect the Verna flyover right up to the Margao Western bypass at Verna.

Announcing the decision at the weekly Friday darbar, the Environment Minister said he has prevailed upon the Union Minister for Road and Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari with the assistance of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to extend the Verna flyover from the Maharaja Hotel right along the Pirnim junction to the western bypass. “I am happy to announce that the Union Minister has accepted my plea for extension of the Verna flyover, which will connect the western bypass at Verna. I had made a strong case before the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during his visit to Goa that the Verna flyover will not do away with the accidents and the traffic snarls at the Pirnim junction. I along with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant prevailed upon the Union Minister and he has agreed to our suggestion to extend the Verna flyover right up to the Margao western bypass at Verna,” he said.

The Minister, who represents Nuvem constituency in the Goa Legislative Assembly said the PWD, National Highways envisages some issues during the construction of the Verna flyover on the existing highway. To tide away the situation, Sequeira said the PWD has drawn up plans to divert the traffic on the old Verna-Nuvem highway road.

The Minister also disclosed plans to regulate traffic on the existing Verna highway by installing traffic signals at three junctions, the Verna-Cansaulim junction, Verna-Majorda junction and the Verna-Dulape junction. “This is a temporary measure that would be put in place till the time the Verna flyover is connected to the western bypass,” he added.

No re-think on Nuvem road expansion plan, says min

MARGAO: Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira has conveyed a message loud and clear there will be no re-think on the plan prepared by the PWD, National Highway to improve the Fr Agnel Ashram-Carmel College Road, Nuvem.

In fact, the Minister, who represents Nuvem constituency, said the PWD will undertake the road improvement in its own property, saying the PWD had acquired the land along the Fr Agnel Ashram-Carmel College road in the 80’s much before he was elected to the Goa Assembly from Nuvem.

A delegation of residents from Nuvem called on him at his Weekly Friday Darbar at the South Goa district Collectorate and highlighted their apprehensions to the road expansion proposed by the PWD, NH. They pointed out that the road expansion will block access to their houses, even as they raised their apprehension to medians proposed on the middle of the road.

After giving the delegation a patient hearing, the Minister assured that not a single authorised house will go for demolition when the PWD, NH executes the road improvement work.

He later told the media that the PWD will go ahead with the road improvement work on the Fr Agnel Ashram-Carmel College road. “Land for the road was acquired in the 80’s. The PWD is not going for land acquisition. And, the road improvement work will be restricted in the land already acquired by the PWD,” he added.

In fact, the Minister questioned the Deputy Conservator of Forests over the delay in giving sanction for the PWD to cut the trees coming along the road improvement project at Verna-Nuvem.