Team Herald
PANJIM: In a bid to provide easy access to senior citizens and the physically challenged, the State government has proposed a foot overbridge between the multilevel car parking building to the Santa Monica jetty in Panjim.
The foundation stone for the proposed Rs five crore project is expected to be laid next week, with the facility likely to be ready and thrown open for the public in December, this year. The project will be executed by the Tourism Department on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis for which an agreement has been signed with BBIUR Advt Pvt Ltd. The firm will design, build, finance, operate and maintain it.
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has granted its approval for structural, section and pile foundation diagrams for the construction of the foot overbridge.
Speaking to Herald, BBIUR Advt Pvt Ltd Managing Director K Uttam said that the project is fully funded by them on revenue sharing mode with the government.
He said that a total 31-metre long foot overbridge will be connected with a multilevel car park by a lift and staircase, which would be senior citizen friendly as well as accessible for persons with disabilities (PwD).
“The project is proposed keeping in mind the difficulty faced by this section of the population while crossing the road to go to Santa Monica jetty. There are also traffic issues,” he said.
The height of the bridge will be around six metres from the road.
Meanwhile, the GCZMA, through its expert member Sujeet Dongre inspected the proposed site.