THE GOAN | MAPUSA
The progress of the six-lane elevated corridor project at Porvorim has slowed considerably over the past three months, raising concerns that its completion deadline may be extended by nearly a year – from the current target of November 2026 to sometime in 2027.
According to an official from the contracting company executing the project, work has reduced by almost 50 percent in recent months, with half the machinery and labourers lying idle.
“For the last three months, the work on the project has slowed by nearly half. Our labourers are also lying idle, putting pressure on costs,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
The slowdown comes despite a recent inspection by Tourism Minister and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte and Deputy Speaker and Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza, who reviewed the ongoing works and suggested measures to ease traffic flow along the NH-66 corridor where the elevated road is being built.
One of the proposals discussed was to carry out segment-hoisting operations only at night, between 9 pm and 5 am, keeping the road open for traffic during the day.
While this would help motorists, engineers warn that it would double the construction time.
“If work is carried out both day and night, launching segments for one 50-metre span takes about ten days. Restricting it to night shifts would take nearly twenty days for the same task,” the company official explained.
Each 40-metre span of the corridor requires 14 pre-cast segments, while a 50-metre span needs 17.
To maintain efficiency and safety, the contractor has requested partial closures of certain road stretches to allow uninterrupted hoisting operations.
“We are not asking for total closure of the roads. We have suggested diversions and single-lane traffic on some stretches so that commuters don’t suffer and our work can continue safely,” the official clarified.
He added that with such limited closures, 80 percent of the superstructure could be completed by April-May 2026, keeping the project broadly on schedule. Restricting work to nights alone, he warned, would not only delay completion but also increase project costs.
Currently, 40 percent of the superstructure has been completed, with the superstructure target set for June-July 2026 and overall completion for November 2026.
ROW bottleneck causes key delays
While construction from Hotel Majestic to Mall de Goa has progressed smoothly due to adequate right-of-way (ROW), the stretch from Mall de Goa to Damian de Goa showroom remains problematic because of narrow space and lack of land for a service road.
“The available ROW in this stretch is 25 metres, which is exactly the width of each segment. There’s no spare land to create a service road, so partial closure is the only practical option,” the official said.
He further noted that segment launching follows a continuous chain – segments are cast and launched simultaneously – making it technically impossible to proceed in small, isolated phases.
“Nearly 100 segments are produced every month. If we can’t launch them on schedule, the casting yard will run out of storage space,” he said, stressing the need for uninterrupted work flow.
Appeal for govt intervention
The contracting firm has urged the State government and the NHAI to step in and adopt a balanced approach that safeguards public convenience while ensuring the project’s timely completion.
“If work continues at the current pace, completion could stretch into 2027,” the official warned.
“A pragmatic decision is needed so that both commuters and the project do not suffer,” he added.
Once completed, the Porvorim elevated corridor – a vital link between Panaji and Mapusa – is expected to dramatically ease congestion along this key stretch of NH-66, improving travel safety and reducing commuting time for thousands of daily road users.
