PONDA: Chaos is the order of the day at the Opa-Khandepar junction and road accidents are aplenty as motorists blatantly flout traffic rules by travelling on the wrong side of the road.
The absence of an approach road to the new Khandepar bridge is a major reason for the commotion, residents say. Incorrect directions provided by navigation apps only compounds the situation.
On Thursday, a KTC bus travelling on the wrong side of the underpass at the junction and a car that was proceeding towards a non-functional service road via a wrong lane collided. A similar accident was witnessed between a passenger van and a goods carrier on New Year’s Day.
“There is no approach road to the new Khandepar bridge, which was inaugurated way back in 2018, prompting vehicles, particularly those from other States, to mistakenly take the service road assuming that it will lead to the bridge,” a local says.
“Similarly, people of the area themselves who travel from Kodar to the Opa junction take the wrong lane of the underpass just to avoid the rumbler strips that are laid in their lane. This often leads to collisions with oncoming vehicles.”
During New Year festivities, a tourist from Bengaluru was hit in a similar manner at the underpass.
To remedy this situation, locals suggest laying rumbler strips on both lanes of the underpass. “The approach road to the new Khandepar bridge should also be completed on a priority,” they add.
When contacted, an official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at Ponda said, “The matter pertaining to the land for the road leading to the Khandepar bridge was pending in court, but has now been resolved. Work on the approach road will begin soon after approval from NHAI.”
