PONDA: Following the fatal accident which claimed the life of a Curti resident along the old road at Khandepar, the authorities concerned finally woke up from their deep slumber and rushed to the site to install barricades by making the route one-way in a bid to prevent accidents.
Major work on the NH approach road on incomplete Khandepar bridge, which is progressing, has left the locals fuming, as they have demanded the more traffic police should be deployed at OPA junction to regulate vehicular movement.
It may be recalled that on Tuesday night rider Suresh Naik (55) from Curti was killed in a collision with a tempo at Khandepar. Suresh was returning home on his scooter from OPA on the two-way Khandepar old road while the tempo was proceeding from Ponda to Khandepar rammed into his two-wheeler. The impact was such that Suresh sustained serious injuries. The locals shifted him to PHC Piliem-Dharbandora but he was declared dead by a doctor.
The locals pointed out that another youth was badly injured in an accident at the same spot and has been rendered bedridden due to major fractures to his body sustained in the accident.
Social worker Sandeep Parkar said following this accident the locals had demanded to declare the route as one-way for the smooth flow of traffic.
He said that the four-lane road suddenly becomes narrow at Khandepar Junction. One-way service road and two-way old road causes confusion in the minds of vehicle drivers while commuting on the highway.
Parkar said due to the presence of several roads there is confusion which results in accidents and hence the locals have stressed the need to make the road as one way.
After receiving complaints from the locals following the fatal accident reported on Tuesday, the PWD and Traffic Cell officials immediately stopped the traffic coming in both directions on old Khandepar road and made it one way towards Ponda by installing barricades.
Similarly the service road of the bridge is used for one-way traffic proceeding from Belagavi to Ponda.
The locals said that recently, the government had started work on the approach road of Khandepar Bridge. This has created a chaotic and dangerous situation at OPA Khandepar road Junction.
Khandepar locals said the vehicles proceeding from Ponda towards Khandepar are speeding on the slope towards OPA Junction. More traffic police personnel are needed at the site to control and regulate the traffic till the work of the approach road of four-lane Bridge is ready.
Traffic Pl Krishna Sinari said with the support of locals, PWD officials and Traffic personnel all the safety measures suggested will be implemented including one-way road.
The NH official Anand Vagurmekar said that the work on the approach road of the four lane bridge is likely to be completed by February. He said signboards are installed at various places for the safety of locals and commuters on NH.
