Team Herald

PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday inaugurated phase 1 of the bridge across Ourem Creek which is expected to cut down distance of vehicles entering Panjim city and Mala area by 1.5 km.

“The new bridge will help shorten distance to people travelling to Panjim bus stand, Mapusa, Margao, Vasco, Porvorim and Ponda. Initially this will only be a one way, as there is a need for a traffic circle where this bridge connects but this will only be done after phase 2 of the bridge is completed. I still feel with this phase 1 the pressure of traffic will reduce,” Parrikar said, addressing the gathering after inaugurating the bridge.

“In the last 25 years through different medium I have made various changes. Many years ago majority of the people did not have cars, out of 10 houses may be one had. When I became the MLA for the first time the percentage of cars on roads was only 10 percent but today each household has two to three cars while the space has remained the same, due to which many solutions were brought to improve roads,” Parrikar said.

A second entry will now be created catering to Mala, Fontainhas, Bhatlem and Taleigao, reducing traffic in front of Kadamba bus stand, office of Animal Husbandry, multi-level car park and existing Patto bridge. It will also help commuters access direct entry to NH-17 from the city.

The design of the bridge includes a special arch between and will also have special slots for sewage line, electrical cables and wires and water pipelines. The contract had been awarded to Larsen and Toubro (L&T) at a cost of Rs 24 crore.

“The bridge alignment has a length of 103 meters and is designed at a 3 span pre-stressed continuous bridge having 2 spans of 30 meters on side and one central span of 43 meters. The bridge also has a carriage way of 7 metres with a footpath of 1.5 metres and the second phase will be constructed after dismantling of the existing water supply line and its supported steel bridge,” GSIDC officials explained.