Reveals ₹7,076 crore road projects proposed to Centre
PANAJI
Public Works Minister Digambar Kamat on Tuesday sought to allay concerns over the proposed closure of the Porvorim highway to facilitate the construction of the Porvorim flyover, even as he announced that road projects worth Rs 7,076 crore have been submitted to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
Speaking to the media, Kamat acknowledged the controversy surrounding the highway closure order issued by the District Magistrate, which had directed that the stretch between Mall de Goa to O Coqueiro junction and ODP Road to Damian de Goa remain closed from January 2 to March 2.
"Alternative routes have been fixed for traffic diversion,” he said, while clarifying that he could not comment in detail on the Chief Minister’s decision regarding the Highway closure.
Kamat stressed that the government was committed to completing the Provorim flyover by December this year. “Fifty per cent of the project has already been completed at a fast pace. The remaining work, which had been delayed due to traffic diversion issues, has now started,” he said.
He added that the Chief Minister had held special meetings to resolve bottlenecks, enabling work to progress rapidly. “We cannot execute work unless a coordinated decision is taken. Now that diversions have been notified, the project is moving ahead smoothly,” Kamat noted.
Turning to long-term infrastructure plans, the PWD Minister revealed that Goa has submitted major proposals to the Centre, backed by detailed project reports. These include the high-level Borim bridge with approaches, four-laning of the Goa-Karnataka border – Mollem section, four-laning of the Mollem-Khandepar section, the Arlem eastern bypass at Margao, and the Cuncolim bypass.
“These projects, together valued at around Rs 7,076 crore, are critical to improving connectivity and easing traffic congestion across the State,” Kamat said, adding that the proposals had been presented during his recent visit to Delhi.
