MAPUSA
After nearly 29 months of construction marked by traffic snarls, diversions, dust, noise and considerable inconvenience to motorists and residents, Goa’s much-touted six-lane elevated corridor at Porvorim is finally set to be inaugurated on Wednesday.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the 5.15-km corridor in the presence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other leaders at a function scheduled to begin at 6 pm on September 9. A stage has been erected on the Panaji side of the corridor for the inauguration ceremony.
The elevated corridor, being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has been projected as a major solution to the chronic traffic congestion on the Porvorim stretch of NH-66, one of the busiest road corridors in North Goa and a key link between the northern and southern parts of the State.
With the corridor now ready to open, attention is turning to whether it will finally deliver the relief that motorists have been waiting for through months of construction-related disruption.
29 months of traffic chaos
For motorists, the construction period was anything but smooth. The busy NH-66 stretch was progressively squeezed as work on the elevated structure, piers, piling, ramps and approaches was carried out alongside live traffic. Lane restrictions, diversions, barricading and intermittent road works resulted in long queues, particularly during peak hours. Motorists travelling between Panaji and Mapusa and those using Porvorim as a gateway to North Goa frequently had to negotiate narrow carriageways and slow-moving traffic. Residents and businesses located along the corridor also had to contend with construction activity virtually outside their doors. Dust, noise, heavy construction vehicles, barricades and restricted access became part of daily life, while customers and local traffic often found it difficult to enter shops and establishments located along the busy stretch.
A project built in a tight space
For the contractor, one of the biggest challenges was the severe shortage of working space.
The elevated corridor had to be constructed within a constrained right of way while keeping the existing NH-66 functioning. There was little room for construction equipment, materials and machinery, particularly in stretches lined by commercial establishments and other developments.
Piling and pier construction had to be carried out in close proximity to live traffic. Construction sequences therefore had to be carefully planned, with traffic management becoming an integral part of the work.
The contractor also had to contend with existing utilities, access requirements and the need to maintain movement along one of Goa's busiest road corridors.
In effect, the project was being built over a road that could never be shut down.
1,431 segments, 88 piers
The finished structure comprises 1,431 concrete segments supported by 88 piers and 87 spans.
The construction contract was awarded to Rajasthan-based Rajendra Singh Bamboo Infra Pvt Ltd (RSBIPL).
Work commenced in mid-April 2024 under an original 24-month schedule, with completion targeted for April 2026. The contractor was subsequently granted a six-month extension after the required depth of piling increased. The elevated corridor is designed to carry through traffic above the existing NH-66, allowing the ground-level road to cater more effectively to local traffic and access movements.
The promise of smoother Porvorim
For years, Porvorim's traffic problem has been one of Goa's most visible infrastructure headaches.
The elevated corridor is now expected to provide a smoother, safer and more efficient route for through traffic and reduce the chronic bottlenecks that have plagued the stretch. For motorists who spent 29 months negotiating the construction zone, however, the inauguration will not simply be another government ceremony. It will be the moment when the promise of a congestion-free Porvorim begins to face the reality of everyday traffic.
