The two-lane, 103-metre-long, three-span pre-stressed new bridge over the Rua de Ourem Creek, which is being constructed by Larsen & Toubro, is yet to be completed for reasons best known to the company and the authorities concerned.

It may be recalled the foundation stone to the bridge was laid on April 8, 2016 by the then Defence Minister and present Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, in the presence of several high-profile dignitaries. 

Parrikar in his inauguration speech had emphasised that the bridge would be completed by December 2016.  Interestingly, we are barely a month away from December 2017 and the bridge is still far from being completed. Hopefully, the officials do have some genuine reasons, as the construction process has been clear of controversies and not faced any opposition from any quarters – not the opposition parties, nor any whining NGO. 

The eagerly-awaited ambitious project will reduce traffic in and around the Kadamba interstate bus stand area, cut the distance from Rua de Ourem to Patto by as much as 1.5 km, besides also reducing the traffic congestion to a certain extent and control the traffic flow in Panjim city. Sadly, the steel used in the construction of this cantilever bridge is already showing signs of corrosion due to exposure to the elements. 

It is not an understatement when I say the work on this project is going at a snail’s pace and if we maintain that the current pace of work would continue, it is unlikely that the bridge will be completed in the next six months or so, which would mean that the bridge will not be commissioned for at least one and a half years.

Even the plaque, that marked the opening, has been missing for quite a long time, as it was removed by some miscreants. It seems that the GSIDC, which has been given the task of overseeing the progress and ensuring that the bridge is completed in time, has shown lack of interest in completing this project, which is already behind schedule. What’s more, the storm water drain from Mala is stagnant at the construction site and over a period of time has become a breeding ground for mosquito larvae and thus posing a health hazard for the residents of Mala and Portais. It’s no secret, the residents will vouch for this. In fact, the residents in the vicinity are also worried that the last leg of completion of the bridge and its alignment (which is perpendicular to the Ourem road) could become an accident site or a bottleneck when completed.