My letter “Can Goa be linked to National Expressway Network?’’ had appeared in the Herald dated November 13, 2015. In this letter, I had highlighted various issues pertaining to the massive new six-lane (or now eight-lane?) Zuari Bridge and the connectivity highway roads linked to the master plan for Indian National Expressway network.

Let me repeat. Six-lane bridges are essential for promoting expressways. The massive multi-lane highway/ expressway project passing through Goa was rejected several years ago. As a result, no specific demarcation for expressway from Pernem to Canacona was made in the Regional Plan for Goa-2021 taluka & village land-use plans. 

Serious attempts are being made to designate the National Highway (NH-17) road  as “expressway’’ for promoting the unsustainable Mopa Airport. The objective is to provide connectivity to the fancy new six-lane/eight-lane Zuari Bridge and to the existing village road in Pernem Taluka  from the so-called Mopa Airport site. The requirements for the access-controlled highways/expressways were highlighted by the Project Director (NH-17B) of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in the Herald news report dated January 5, 2017 (refer Voice of Goa page 5).

It was reported in the year 2010 that the Terms of Reference for the road & traffic engineering studies in Goa by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) did not include National Highway roads of Goa. The road carrying capacity studies and road master plan report remains incomplete without addressing road intersections/junctions and road connectivity issues between National Highways and other roads in Goa.

According to the road safety guidelines, multi-lane highways/ expressways require additional service roads with proper approaches & subway crossings for local residents. These planning concepts are for promoting mega industrial and housing development projects in the vicinity of the road, for massive influx of migrant workers and floating population. Goa is neither a desert nor has vast flat open areas. Hence, multi-lane highways/ expressways cannot be implemented in the tiny State of Goa without destroying the beautiful village settlements, particularly its unique climate - related topography and existing earthwork plans.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to reject massive multi-lane highways/expressway roads in Goa and de-link Goa from the National Expressway network to prevent man made destruction of the peaceful village settlement and livelihood areas of local communities.