TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Shortage of “rubble” stone has come in the way of the commissioning of the much-awaited Assolna-Cavelossim bridge.
The PWD is presently in dire need of around 60-70 trucks load of rubble stones for the widening of the approach road on the Cavelossim side of the bridge. Though the PWD contractor has completed nearly 60-70 per cent of the work on the approach road, rubble shortage has hit the soling and tarring of the 1.3 km widened road on the Cavelossim side.
Work on the 1.3 km Cavelossim side of the road is presently underway with the PWD widening the existing property. Nearly a dozen compound walls located on the land acquired by the government around two decades ago, has been razed down to make way for road widening.
“Around 70 per cent work on the road widening stands completed. We are building a six meter wide road, connecting the bridge to the main Cavelossim road”, informed an official.
He, however, said the real problem being faced by the PWD now is not so much the opposition to the road widening work by the local residents, but the shortage of rubble stone. “We have made inquiries with rubble stone suppliers, but there’s no positive response so far in view of the crackdown by the Mines department on stone quarrying”, remarked another official, adding that the moment the rubble is supplied by the suppliers, soling of the road can be taken up and completed within three days.
The road will be only tarred now to allow the portion to settle down, and the hot mixing of the entire road is expected to be take up after the monsoons.
Inauguration of the bridge was postponed on two occasions – January 26 and February 16 — and the government was toying with the idea of throwing open the bridge over River Sal before the coming into force of the election code of conduct, but the fate depends on the availability of the rubble stone.
