TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Lusofonia Games is just a day away, but the crucial stretch of the highway from Nuvem to Margao still awaits widening and improvement.
Improvement of this stretch of the highway ~ right from Honda showroom to the new Collectorate building ~ was mooted to ease traffic congestion during the games.
Sadly, this important highway stretch ~ linking Nuvem to Margao city and connecting the Nehru stadium road at the New Collectorate, remains as it is. A ride down the kilometre-long road revealed that even the road shoulders have settled down and the narrow tarred surface is unable to bear the heavy traffic load, causing traffic jams.
Interestingly, the PWD authorities had bulldozed its way and rushed with the Nuvem bypass, completing the road in a record time of two and a half months to ensure the bypass was all ready ahead of the games. Similarly, the GSIDC took up work on widening the Ambaji-Nehru stadium road at a great cost to take care of traffic snarls.
When Herald contacted the Principal Chief Engineer R S Rego to shed light on the status of this stretch of the road, he said there was a delay in taking up the work estimated to cost Rs three crore. “The PWD had tendered work on the highway from Verna to Nuvem and Ambaji at a cost of around Rs three crore, but the same could not be taken up along with other works for reasons beyond our control. When the tender was first floated, there was a lone bidder and hence we had to go for re-tender. We have now received 3-4 bids for the fresh tender and the bids have been despatched for approval. Work on the project will take place no sooner the proposal receives the approval,” he said.
Traffic officials, however, appeared a worried lot over non-widening of the Nuvem Honda showroom to Ambaji junction stretch. A senior traffic official reminded that the department had alerted the PWD and the district authorities in advance to take up work on this particular stretch on a priority basis in view of the games. “Even otherwise this stretch of the highway requires immediate widening. What would happen now is that while traffic on the Verna-Nuvem bypass would witness a smooth flow, we fear congestion on the narrow stretch of road,” remarked the official.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai agreed that the authorities ought to have taken up the Nuvem-Ambaji highway on a war footing. “Widening of this stretch was a long-felt need,” he said, while promising to take up the widening on priority.
