Project unveiled three years back in proposal stage; three flyovers planned for 6.5-km stretch
The Belem-Navelim Traffic junction has become an accident-prone zone in the absence of a flyover. Attempts to regulate the traffic via traffic signals have failed to achieve the desired result.
Photo Credits: The Goan
MARGAO
As many three flyovers – a flyover at Belem-Navelim, another flyover at Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim and a flyover at Panzorconne-Cuncolim - have now been proposed along the 6.5km Navelim-Cuncolim road stretch on the NH66 highway.
In fact, almost three years after Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari unveiled plans for the expansion of NH66 from Navelim to Cuncolim stretch into a four-lane highway with pedestrian footpaths, the project now seems to be taking concrete shape with officials of the PWD, National Highways proposing three flyovers along the 6.5 km long stretch.
Senior PWD officials, however, hastened to add that the flyovers mooted by the department at Navelim, Chinchinim and Cuncolim are all at the proposal stage, adding that they will be implemented only after the sanction from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Three years ago on November 2, 2021, Gadkari announced that the Centre would take up work on four-laning of the Navelim-Cuncolim stretch of the NH66. The Union Minister's announcement was followed by a similar announcement made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in his 2003 budget speech on the expansion of the Navelim-Cuncolim highway stretch.
The project, however, failed to take off over a host of factors, officials in the know pointed out, even though the land for the highway expansion was already in possession of the PWD, National Highways.
The NH66 stretch from Cuncolim to Navelim is proposed to be developed into a four-lane highway with pedestrian footpaths. The government is believed to have acquired around 24 hectares of land along the Cuncolim-Navelim stretch of the highway.
Officials in the know now say that the PWD has now prepared a plan for the expansion project, proposing three flyovers along the stretch. The first flyover is being proposed at Belem-Navelim, where the western bypass joins the existing NH66. The flyover at Belem was not proposed in the original western bypass, with officials now saying that an elevated structure at the Belem-Navelim junction is being proposed with the traffic junction becoming an accident-prone zone.
In fact, one would come across the work of soil testing near Jackniband bridge, indicating that the authorities are moving ahead with the flyover. A rough plan designed by the PWD shows that the flyover may start at Dramapur, metres away from the residence of former MLA Manu Fernandes and will join the Western Bypass at Coldem.
Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim flyover
A flyover is proposed along the existing NH66 at Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim.
PWD officials in the know informed that the government has not considered the pleas made by the residents of Dandeavaddo for the construction of a road bypass instead of building a flyover at Dandeavaddo. Residents had approached all and sundry over the last many years with the plea to build a bypass at Dandeavaddo instead of a flyover.
PWD officials have pointed out that the department has proposed a flyover at Dandeavaddo, which is expected to start somewhere near the Digaubandh at Chinchinim before joining the existing highway metres away from the residential area.
“The petition made by the residents of Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim for a road bypass has not found favour with the government. Hence, the PWD, NH has stuck to the plan to build a flyover at Dandeavaddo,” informed an official.
Panzorconne flyover
According to sources, a flyover is proposed at the entrance to Cuncolim at Panzorconne before the elevated structure joins the existing highway near the NUSI hospital. Sources in the know informed that the flyover at Panzorconne has been proposed taking into account the road that leads towards the Cuncolim Industrial Estate.
Incidentally, residents of Panzorconne had opposed the highway expansion along the existing highway, claiming the four-laning would affect their residential structures dotting the stretch.
