Team Herald
VASCO: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the loop port connectivity flyover connecting Ravindra Bhavan, Baina, to Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) Gate No. 9, on Tuesday. Gadkari also launched six major infrastructure projects worth Rs 4,200 crore during the event, which was attended by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, ministers, MLAs, and other dignitaries.
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Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari stated that the eight-kilometre-long flyover-cum-cable-stayed road overbridge would ease traffic congestion and spur development. He highlighted that the first loop of this project, connecting Varunapuri to Sada Junction, had been inaugurated in January 2022.
“This flyover will save time, reduce traffic jams, and minimise coal pollution, benefiting locals while improving logistics for the Mormugao Port,” Gadkari said.
Gadkari urged the Goa government to inspect the width of roads and take action against encroachments by government offices to enhance road safety. He called for notices to be issued to encroachers and offered his Ministry’s support by providing machinery, including bulldozers, for demolition purposes.
The minister also asked Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to convene a meeting to resolve disputes in the flying zone. While acknowledging the Indian Navy’s claims over certain areas of land, he opined that the Navy’s compound wall had encroached onto the national highway. He recommended an inspection to measure the land and remove all encroachments from such areas.
Emphasising the need to address accident-prone zones and black spots, Gadkari urged the State government to prioritise making Goa ‘accident and pollution-free’. He cited alarming national road accident statistics, noting that five lakh accidents occur annually in India, resulting in 1.8 lakh deaths.
During the event, Gadkari also laid the foundation stone for several key projects, including the construction of a flyover from MES College Junction to Bogmalo Junction, a vehicular underpass (VUP) at Queeny Junction, and four-laning works from end of Zuari approaches to start of Margao bypass; from Navelim to Cuncolim; from Bendorem to Pollem and from Ponda to Bhoma.
