PANAJI
Minister for Public Works Department Deepak Pauskar on Monday disclosed that four out of the eight lanes of the new Zuari Bridge are likely to be thrown open to the public before the monsoons next year. He also declared that the roads across Goa will be repaired by May 2021.
Speaking to media persons in Panaji, Pauskar stated, “All road networks across the State will be repaired by May 2021, a month within the completion of the work on the new Zuari Bridge. The eight-lane Zuari bridge and its approaches, four lanes will be commissioned by April 2021 and the remaining four lanes will be completed soon thereafter. Presently, 65 to 70 per cent of the work has been completed.”
Vouching for the quality of the repair works, Pauskar guaranteed that the new roads will survive for a decade upon completion.
“I have seen Goa’s state highways, national highways and internal roads. The work has been on hold since March 2020 due to the pandemic and the monsoon is subsidising only now. If the weather clears in the next two days, we will restart these works. Work orders have already been issued for hot-mixing several State highways. I am not denying that the roads are not destroyed. But Goans will soon get good roads,” he assured.
The PWD Minister revealed that the State government has received an amount of Rs 150 crore from the Central government for hot-mixing of the national highways in the State. “We have accordingly issued work orders. That work will resume in the next four days. By January, these national highways will be returned to perfect conditions,’ Pauskar said.
