MAPUSA
The construction of the 5.15 km-long elevated corridor along NH-66 in Porvorim is moving at a steady pace, with almost all the piers in place.
Only 10 piers remain to be erected, and officials expect them to be completed within the next 10 to 15 days.
By mid-April, the entire stretch will have its piers standing tall, paving the way for the next phase of construction.
Once the piers are in place, priority will be given to the development of permanent service roads and drainage systems, which must be completed before the onset of the monsoon season.
Currently, temporary service roads are in use to facilitate traffic movement.
Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Jude Carvalho, explained that the delay in constructing the remaining 10 piers was due to the presence of overhead high-tension power lines near the uprooted banyan tree stretch.
However, the Power Department has already laid underground cables, and the overhead lines are expected to be removed in the next two days.
"Once the overhead lines are removed, the piling work for the remaining piers will be completed within three to four days. The erection of the piers will follow and should be finished within the next eight to 10 days. By mid-April, all piers will be completed along the entire elevated corridor," Carvalho assured.
Following the completion of the piers, the focus will shift to launching concrete segments on top, a process already progressing efficiently at both ends of the corridor.
Carvalho informed that on the Hotel Neo-Majestic side, seven spans have been completed, while on the Sangolda-Guirim stretch, work is underway on the second span.
"The contractors are aiming to complete four spans per month with each launcher, translating to a total of eight spans per month. If this pace continues, the elevated corridor can be completed by January or February 2026," Carvalho stated.
He added that the construction work could progress even faster if the stretch were closed to traffic, allowing round-the-clock operations. Currently, segment launching is restricted during peak traffic hours.
A total of 1,431 concrete segments will form the corridor, with each span consisting of approximately 17 segments.
Once completed, the elevated corridor will stand on a single row of 88 piers and 87 spans, providing much-needed relief from heavy vehicular congestion along NH-66.
