Khandepar locals want NH traffic diverted through service roads

Team Herald 

PONDA:  In the absence of an approach road to the New Khandepar bridge, locals here have demanded that the traffic be diverted through the service roads inorder to prevent road mishaps at the Opa Khandepar Junction. 

The residents suggested that until an elevated approach road is constructed to the  bridge, the service road should be  widened and connected to road heading towards the Ponda junction. 

In absence of an approach road leading  to the new bridge, chaos and confusion prevails at Opa junction as outgoing NH traffic proceeds from the internal road at Opa Junction.

It may be recalled that government constructed a new Khandepar bridge on the Ponda- Belgaum Highway at Opa –Khandepar parallel to Old Portuguese era bridge and inaugurated it in 2018. 

However while inaugurating the bridge, the approach road was not constructed as one house owner had gone to Court opposing itt. As a result, incoming NH traffic towards Ponda was coming from the service road to Opa Junction to proceed towards Ponda while the outgoing traffic was proceeding from the old Khandepar bridge posing risk to locals and commuters especially school students as there were several accidents reported here. 

Therefore there was a growing demand to construct the approach road to Khandepar bridge so that incoming and outgoing traffic of  the NH proceeds simultaneously from new the bridge. 

Sandeep Parkar, a social activist said recently locals discussed the issue with local MLA and Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik who stated that it would take at least a year to sort out the issue as the file was with the NH authorities. 

Sandeep suggested that the traffic police use both service roads of the new bridge for incoming and outgoing traffic as it  would  ensure the safety of students and locals at the Opa Junction .