The process of load testing of the Margao western bypass is underway on the road over bridge.
MARGAO
With work on the balance 2.5 km stretch of the Margao Western bypass nearing completion with workers engaged in giving final touches to the stretch, the PWD, National Highway has set in motion the process to conduct load testing of the road over bridge as well as the viaducts on Tuesday.
Suspense, however, continues whether the Western bypass will be inaugurated at the hands of Union Minister of Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari during his weekend visit to Goa.
When The Goan called up PWD, NH Superintending Engineer Dattaprasad Kamat to shed light on the commissioning of the Western bypass for vehicular traffic, he replied back saying the process has been set in motion on Tuesday for load testing of the road over bridge.
He said the load testing process of the road over bridge will be completed on Wednesday while the load test of the viaduct will take place thereafter. “The whole process of load and unloading is around 36 hours. Eight trucks of 28 tonnes are being deployed for maximum load of 224 tonnes. We are conducting the load testing at two places, the road over bridge and the viaduct. The process of load testing of the road over bridge will end on Wednesday,” he said.
Saying that the work on the 2.5 km balance stretch of the Western bypass from Seraulim to Benaulim is almost complete, Kamat said only finishing touches remains to be given to the work along the stretch.
He, however, feigned ignorance when asked whether the Western bypass is scheduled for inauguration at the hands of Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on his visit to Goa during the weekend. “The PWD has not received any communiqué from the government for the inauguration of the Western bypass during the weekend. The Goa government will take a call on the inauguration,” he said.
Kamat, however, said that bypass work is ready in all respects barring the finishing touches, as the load testing process is expected to end in the next 24 hours. “The illumination lamps have been put in place. The electrical connection will come in a day or two. Painting work on the stretch is going on in full swing,” he added.
While the Verna-Nuvem stretch and the Navelim stretch of the 11 km Margao Western bypass was thrown open for vehicular traffic, work on the balance 2.5 kms Seraulim-Benaulim stretch had remained incomplete since the villagers had made a strong demand for the construction of the bypass on stilts. The demand of the villagers was partly acceded to by the government after the NGT-appointed panel recommended construction of the bypass on stilts along a 900-metre stretch from Seraulim, near the wholesale fish market junction to the Mungul railway over bridge junction.
