MARGAO
As the PWD National Highways finally completed work on the Margao Western bypass at a cost of Rs 482 crore on the NH66, the focus is now shifted on the elevated corridor along the Verna IDC road, the major traffic bottleneck on the Margao-Panaji highway.
While the PWD, NH has floated a tender at an estimated cost, approximately around close to Rs 300 crore to take up the project, the Pirnim traffic junction at Verna has come under the scanner of the stakeholders, including elected representatives.
Days after the South Goa District Road Safety Committee deliberated on the Verna IDC elevated corridor, with members raising concerns over the fact that the elevated stretch does not cover the Pirnim junction, Law Minister Aleixo Sequeira has strongly taken up the matter with PWD, NH officials as well as representatives of the Union Ministry of Road and Surface Transport Ministry.
In fact, the Minister, who represents Nuvem constituency in the Goa Legislative Assembly has not only insisted that the Verna IDC elevated corridor should be extended right up to the Pirnim traffic junction, but has demanded road underpasses at the roads heading to Cansaulim and Majorda villages.
At a meeting with senior PWD officials at the district Collectorate, South, the Law Minister made it clear that it makes no sense in regulating the heavy traffic at the Pirnim junction when the issue could be very well resolved by extending the elevated corridor right up to the junction.
A senior official initially tried to rule out the possibility of extending the elevated corridor right up to the Pirnim junction on the plea the project has already been tendered. Later, it was agreed upon that the Minister will write a letter to the Union Minister for Roads and Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari with a plea to extend the elevated corridor to Pirnim and also allocate underpasses at the Majorda and Cansaulim roads. “Extending the elevated corridor right up to the Pirnim junction will ensure smooth and uninterrupted flow of heavy traffic on the National Highway,” he said.
Similarly, Sequeira pointed out that the underpasses at the roads leading to Majorda and Cansaulim village will ensure smooth flow of traffic on the highway.
The issue was highlighted at the South Goa District Road Safety panel meeting held last month wherein officials as well as consumer rights activists expressed their concern in the event the Verna flyover lands on the slope near the petrol pump. In fact, the panel had decided to write to the government to ensure that the flyover covers the Pirnim road junction as well as to avoid traffic snarls on the National highway.
