HC orders fresh review of safety measures during flyover works

PANAJI

The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed a second joint meeting between the Public Works Department (PWD) Chief Engineer (National Highways), the contractor handling the Porvorim–Guirim elevated corridor project, and petitioner Advocate Moses Pinto, following allegations of ongoing road safety shortcomings along the under-construction stretch.  

The direction came after Pinto submitted a visual inspection report to the court, claiming that several safety hazards continue to exist at the project site despite ongoing work on one of Goa’s busiest highway corridors.  

In his submission, Pinto sought a fresh joint inspection and meeting to address what he described as serious shortcomings in traffic management and road safety measures. The report highlighted the lack of visible warning signs before diversion points, inadequate arrangements where active carriageways merge into temporary diversions, and the movement of traffic close to excavation sites, machinery and construction activity.  

The petitioner also pointed to limited barriers between motorists and work zones, roadside storage of construction materials and excavated soil, exposed excavations, unfinished road shoulders and poor hazard markings. The report further raised concerns about monsoon preparedness, noting exposed soil and drainage-related issues that could create risks during heavy rainfall.  

According to the inspection report, two-wheeler riders remain particularly vulnerable due to loose construction material, uneven road edges and sudden alignment changes along parts of the corridor. The petitioner also noted that construction work was being carried out beneath and alongside the elevated structure while traffic continued to pass through the area.  

Pinto’s report called for stronger safety measures, including better lighting, reflective markers, improved hazard signs and more effective warning systems for motorists using diversions and travelling through active construction zones.  

“The inspection photographs indicate continuing interaction between live traffic and active construction zones,” the report stated, adding that limited visibility of hazards, roadside storage of materials and the close proximity of vehicles to ongoing works remain concerns that require immediate attention.