With vehicles from the service roads criss-crossing the highway junction at Peddem, the intersection has become dangerous and accident prone. Captured by : Agnelo Pereira
MAPUSA
Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira on Saturday said that the government has sent a proposal to construct a flyover a little away from the Peddem junction even as he called for immediate steps to ease the traffic-related issues at the busiest junction on the NH66 at Peddem, Mapusa.
Ferreira said that the rumblers set up on the highway near the junction were not as per the specifications and needed to change while also insisting on installing traffic signals to bring some discipline to the movement of vehicular traffic at the crossing.
The Peddem highway junction has become dangerous and accident-prone due to the criss-crossing of vehicles from either side of the service roads.
“The long-time solution is that the PWD has already moved a proposal for a flyover…The flyover proposal is gone to Delhi. We are waiting for that clearance. Once that clearance comes then this (Peddem) junction can be closed,” Ferreira said.
The Aldona MLA was addressing the media while conducting an inspection of the junction along with the officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Traffic Police in the presence of local residents.
Speaking further, Ferreira said the NHAI has given clearance to fix traffic signals at the junction but it got stuck because the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) expressed a wish to install the signals. “I will speak to the MMC and if they cannot do it in quick time then the NHAI can do it,” he said.
He further informed that the rumblers that had been installed near the junction on the highway were not according to the specifications of the highway authority. He said it was found that the gap between each of the rumblers was not right, plus there were excess rumblers. “A suggestion has been made to keep a gap between the rumblers and to split the distance,” he said.
Ferreira also stressed that the work has to be completed within a specific time limit and possibly by December 15. “There will be an influx of tourists during the Christmas and the New Year. Our locals know the road but tourists go speeding. We need to complete the work at the earliest,” he said.
