PONDA: The increase in the number of accidents at Khandepar-Opa junction, the residents of Khandepar have urged the authorities to expedite the pending work on the approach road leading to the new bridge.
It is pertinent to note that the work on the approach road commenced a few months ago, with the locals urging the NHAI officials to complete the same before monsoon to ensure that Khandepar-Opa junction is made accident-free zone.
Sandeep Parkar, a local, said if the approach road is completed before monsoon, this will make the Junction accident-free zone as the traffic would directly proceed from NH without entering the internal or service road at the junction.
He claimed that RE panels are used for the elevated approach road leading to bridge, and the work is progressing at a snail’s pace. He said that the work should be completed before monsoon to prevent accidents at the Junction and called for sprinkling water as the land filling work is causing heavy dust pollution in the area.
It may be recalled that the new Khandepar bridge work commenced in 2015 and the bridge was inaugurated in 2018 without an approach road.
The approach road could not be constructed to bridge at that time as the case was sub judice. Now, the matter is resolved with NHAI commencing the work a few months ago and most of the work has been left in complete.
The junction has turned the junction into an accident prone zone, as motorists plying on NH, are compelled to use the service road with some of them using Google Maps resulting in chaos.
Several accidents have occurred at junction and to name a few, a local rider died last month after he was hit by tempo.
Locals also recalled that a couple of years ago, a truck rammed into a hotel at the junction completely damaging the structure. Multiple vehicles were involved in an accident at the junction wherein a father-son duo miraculously escaped after their scooter was hit by a heavy vehicle.
NHAI and Ponda PWD officials said that the work on approach road is progressing and is likely to be completed by May-end.
