MARGAO
The long wait for commissioning the Margao Western bypass is finally over. Taking cognisance of the increase in heavy traffic on the National Highway 66 and the situation expected to worsen ahead of the festive season, the government on Sunday finally decided to throw open the western bypass for traffic on Monday.
The sudden developments unfolded on Sunday morning after Salcete Minister Aleixo Sequeira went to meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after his return from Rajasthan with a fervent plea to inaugurate the bypass on priority considering the heavy flow of traffic, putting strain on the roads in Margao and on the eastern bypass.
By noon, Sequeira returned home to inform media that the Chief Minister had understood the situation and was kind enough to fix the inauguration of the western bypass on Monday.
While the government has been apparently waiting for Union Minister for Road and Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to commission the project, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is now expected to do the honours on Monday at 11 am.
The Goan had two days ago highlighted the worsening traffic situation on the roads in Margao and the city outskirts, including the Eastern bypass, resulting in traffic snarls and the government’s delay in throwing open the western bypass for traffic.
In fact, it’s now a fortnight since the western bypass has been ready in all respects after the road safety audit gave all clear for the commissioning of the 11-km road. The bypass, however, was not immediately opened for traffic, with the government apparently waiting for the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to commission the project.
The 11-km Margao western bypass, connecting Verna to Navelim without entering the commercial capital, has been opened for traffic in phases.
First, the Verna-Nuvem stretch was opened for traffic followed by the Navelim-Benaulim stretch over a year ago. Commissioning of the entire 11-km stretch was delayed due to the work on the 2.5km stretch between Benaulim and Seraulim in view of the sustained agitation by the people of Benaulim, Mungul and Seraulim in support of its demand for constructing the bypass on stilts.
Work on the balance stretch finally commenced more than a year ago after the government accepted the recommendation of National Green Tribunal NGT’s constituted expert panel to build 1.2 km of the total 2.5 km balance stretch of the bypass on stilts.
