MARGAO
There is finally some good news for residents of Margao who have long been affected by heavy traffic congestion on the western side of the city, particularly around the Comba railway crossing.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has approved a proposal to link the Margao Western Bypass Road to the Vidya Vikas Mandal (VVM) educational hub at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore.
Announcing the development on Friday, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat told the media that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Public Works Department has received approval from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
“The Minister has approved the DPR to construct the road connecting the Western Bypass to the Vidya Vikas Mandal educational complex at a cost of Rs 25 crore. The PWD will float tenders to execute the project within the next month,” Kamat said.
The PWD Minister said the “missing link” project, once completed, will provide significant relief to traffic congestion in areas around the Comba railway crossing.
“Currently, people heading to the VVM complex from the southern and western parts of the city have to cross the railway tracks or travel via Khareband. After the project is completed, motorists will have the option of reaching the VVM complex directly through the new link from the Western Bypass,” he added.
This will be the first major project aimed at connecting the Western Bypass to Margao city and easing the severe traffic congestion in the area. Although the Central Government has already constructed the Western Bypass at a cost of several crores, the road currently lacks direct connectivity to the city. As a result, residents must travel to Benaulim or Nuvem to access the bypass when heading towards Panjim or further south.
Meanwhile, the PWD Minister launched road hot mixing work in the Comba ward of the Margao Municipal Council in the presence of Ward Councillor Shagun Naik on Friday. In fact, Kamat informed that all the roads in Comba will be hot mixed under the project.
