PANAJI
Union Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari on Monday inaugurated multiple sections of the ongoing and under-construction NH66 and also laid the foundation stone for a few other projects encompassing a road length of 124 kilometres.
While dedicating all these projects to the nation at a function held at a city hotel, Gadkari urged the Goa government to work seriously on a time-bound programme to switch to eco-friendly transportation by replacing current fossil-fuel dependent automobiles with futuristic green fuels including green hydrogen and electric vehicles.
Gadkari, who also laid the foundation stone for the Rs 270-crore observatory towers project of the new Zuari bridge at the same function, claimed that it is a state-of-the-art bridge and will parallel France's Eiffel Tower in its spectacle quotient.
Accessibility will be by capsule lifts directly from river crafts and there will be no need for surface access to the observatory towers which will also have a revolving restaurant and will be another tourist attraction in Goa, he said.
The delay in completing the bridge is because the cable-staying work is halted as the Chinese consultant is unable to come despite efforts from him as well as the State government, Gadkari said, adding that completing the projects within the next six months will be the top priority of his ministry.
The projects inaugurated and dedicated to the nation by Gadkari on Monday are two sections of the 4-lane NH-66 from Patradevi to Karaswada (18-km built at Rs 634 crore) and from Karaswada to Bambolim (13-km at Rs 853 crore), a 5.7 kilometre stretch of the Margao Western Bypass built of Rs 354 crore and a 5.2-km port connectivity Road in Mormugao costing Rs 546 crore.
Gadkari also laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Mopa airport connectivity road (NH-166S) envisaging an investment of Rs 1,183 crore.
