PANAJI
The Public Works Department (PWD) is currently in the process of preparing a comprehensive alternative traffic flow plan to ease traffic while work on the Porvorim flyover is being executed even as a 2-year timeline was set for its completion.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the PWD portfolio, along with Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, who represents Porvorim, held a meeting on Thursday with top engineers to discuss the modalities of arrangements to divert traffic and provide alternate thoroughfare during the execution of work was discussed.
The team of engineers was conveyed a 2-year timeline to complete the flyover work, an official who was part of the meeting said. He added that Khaunte insisted that the diversion of heavy goods vehicles to alternative routes was essential if the disruption was to be minimised. The minister also told the engineers at the meeting that construction of temporary side-arm roads wherever possible will have to be done.
Earlier this week on Wednesday, the highway had been closed and traffic diverted to service roads at various stretches including between Delfinos Junction and Majestic Hotel to resume work on the flyover. However, the notification was immediately withdrawn.
The flyover work is planned to be taken up in four phases with the first two concerning the Soccoro and Penha de Franca areas where the density of smaller and medium vehicles is higher.
Khaunte also suggested at the meeting that heavy vehicles and goods-carrying vehicles be not permitted to use these sections and diverted so that the flow of smaller passenger cars and two-wheelers is unaffected.
Once the first two phases are completed, the remaining works will be taken up in sections and the contractor has pledged to complete the work in two years, the official said.
So far, two roads have been identified to divert the traffic -- the road from Bakers Street to Green Hill and the one from Holy Family Church to the Kadamba Depot.
