Team Herald
PONDA: Since the expansion of the two-lane highway into a four-lane road, locals in the Kopperwada-Curti area have been facing significant difficulties in crossing the highway due to the lack of an underpass and two-way service roads.
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Residents have pointed out that the absence of these vital provisions has turned the area into an accident-prone zone, not only for pedestrians but also for animals. They argue that while the four-lane road benefits highway commuters and trucks, it has provided no advantages for the
local community.
Locals have raised concerns that without an underpass, crossing the highway has become increasingly dangerous. “There is a real risk to students who are forced to cross the highway after alighting from buses,”
they said.
In response to the ongoing issues, residents gathered along the highway to protest the lack of safe provisions. They complained that seven or eight years ago, the National Highway authorities had promised to implement these facilities, yet to date, nothing has been done. As a result, locals are enduring considerable hardship.
“There are around 200 houses in Kopperwada, but no underpass to safely cross to Ponda or Khandepar,” a local resident, Ranganath Gaude, stated. “When the work on the two-lane bypass was being converted into a four-lane highway, we repeatedly asked for underpasses, proper service roads, and median gaps. But without these, we are facing tremendous
hardship.”
While there is a service road beside the Kopperwada-Kerya Highway, it has largely been encroached upon by garage operators, mechanics, and illegal parking. Furthermore, the service road has been dug up for various utility works, making it unusable for locals.
Now, the residents are demanding that the existing one-way service road be converted into a two-way road, running from the overbridge at Amigos Junction to Kopperwada Junction. They have submitted a letter to the Public Works Department (PWD) of National Highways (NH), urging them to restore the service road that was dug up for development works.
“Immediate action is needed to ensure the safety and convenience of the local community,”
they added.
