Team Herald
MARGAO: An inspection was conducted on Wednesday morning along the stretch from Fr Agnel Institute in Verna to Carmel College in Nuvem as the controversy over the proposed expansion of National Highway 66 continues to escalate. Local villagers, along with community leaders, have raised strong objections to the highway expansion, questioning its necessity and potential impact.
“Highway authorities are not able to justify the expansion and are on the back foot as the expansion is not leading to any joining of major road,” stated Nuvem Congress functionary Everson Vales. He added that the Traffic Department had identified “black spots” in the area back in 2019-20.
“However, since traffic has since been shifted to the Western Bypass, these black spots have become irrelevant, and the department plans to submit a report reflecting this change,” Vales added.
The current proposal to widen this section of NH 66 has faced pushback from residents and local stakeholders who argue that the expansion could cause safety risks and disrupt existing infrastructure. The road in question is lined with numerous educational institutions, and further expansion could endanger students and residents walking along the stretch.
Last week, responding to these growing concerns, South Goa Member of Parliament (MP) Captain Viriato Fernandes held a meeting in Margao to discuss the issue. At the meeting, which was attended by Nuvem residents too, the participants emphasised that the existing Western Bypass is already designed to handle heavy traffic, rendering further expansion of the current road unnecessary. Authorities, including the Assistant Director of Transport, Executive Engineers of Highways, the Collector, and the Additional Collector, had then assured those present that a joint site inspection would be conducted to evaluate the situation.
The inspection is a follow-up to these discussions. Residents have long argued that widening the highway could lead to more speeding vehicles and potential accidents while also impacting utilities like electricity cables, telecommunication lines, and water pipelines.