PANJIM: The 262 km-long stretch of national highways in Goa is set to be widened, with the Goa government appointing a consultancy firm to prepare a detailed project report (DPR), which will be submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways by December. The crucial project will include upgradation of the much-neglected bridges in Borim and Banastarim.
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had assured the state financial support for widening of NH 4, NH 17 and NH 17B. The highway will be fully concretized in the next two years.
Speaking to Herald, PWD Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar confirmed the appointment of Hyderabad based R V Consultancy for preparing a DPR for the project.
“The cost of the project will be known once the DPR is ready,” Dhavalikar said. The DPR will provide details about the number of houses and structures that will be affected by the widening. It is likely that the project will include flyovers and elevated corridors so as to displace the least possible number of people. “We aim to complete the project in two-two and half years,” he added.
The length of the highways passing through Goa spans 262 km and covers NH 17 from Patradevi to Polem and NH 4-A from Panjim to Molem. In addition, there are major district roads and roads crisscrossing the rural and urban areas.
PWD will also undertake a Rs 69 crore project for re-surfacing of NH. “It’s a Union government project and they have sanctioned the estimated cost of the project,” the minister said.
Another Rs 80 crore has been sanctioned by the Union Ministry under the Central Road Fund (CRF) for upgradation of internal roads connecting the NH, state highway and district roads.
