PANAJI: Entry and exit points for the Atal Setu and Porvorim elevated road will be opened within the next week, along with traffic signals, rumble strips, speed-limit signage and other safety measures, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat said on Monday.
The announcement followed a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, where officials and IIT Kharagpur experts reviewed the traffic arrangements and drawings related to the Porvorim elevated road. Minister and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte, Deputy Speaker and Mapusa MLA Joshua De Souza, and officials were also present.
Kamat said the government had finalised entry and exit arrangements based on proposals put forward by Khaunte to address the difficulties faced by Porvorim residents. "Entry and exit points on this side were finalised, and a third suggestion for an entry point for Porvorim residents onto the Atal Setu bridge was agreed upon in principle," Kamat said.
He said traffic coming from the Atal Setu would be allowed to exit before the elevated road and take the road below. An entry and exit point would also be opened, with rumble strips installed at identified locations. "Specific spots were identified for installing rumble strips, setting up cameras and placing prominent speed-limit signboards 300 metres in advance to advise drivers to slow down and control their speed," he said.
Kamat said traffic signals would also be installed on the service road, while widening would be undertaken wherever required. Chief Minister Sawant said the solutions discussed at the meeting would be streamlined and acted upon over the next eight days.
Khaunte meanwhile said immediate safety measures were required, particularly to prevent motorists and two-wheeler riders from entering the elevated road without adequate information about restrictions and exits. "Controls may be in terms of speed limiters, traffic signals and speed breakers. Certain measures have not been taken in the past," he said.
Referring to a recent incident involving a two-wheeler rider, Khaunte said there was a need for clearer signage and immediate action. "Even today, in the morning, two-wheeler riders were riding onto the Atal Setu. They saw that there was no exit and they went on the bridge," he said.
He also called for strict enforcement of the 65 kmph speed limit through technology. "We have technology for all those places. Whether the flashlights capture the speed and charge them, be very strict on this," Khaunte said. Khaunte said the government was taking technical inputs from IIT and IIM and had also suggested consulting other authorities specialising in traffic management. "At the end of the day, we need a solution. Technically, they have to decide. For us, it is a solution for our people," he said. He said traffic management would also have to be monitored at Merces Circle and towards Mapusa to prevent bottlenecks from shifting to other areas.
Khaunte also called for accountability over the planning and design of the project. "Instead of playing the blame game, accountability 100% has to be fixed," he said, adding that the role of consultants, contractors and agencies involved in the project should be examined. He added that the immediate priority was to implement safety and traffic measures and monitor them daily to ensure the commitments made during the meeting were fulfilled.
