PONDA: It’s been three years since its inauguration; the four-lane Khandepar Bridge still lacks an approach road.
Khandepar locals have demanded that the long pending work of constructing the approach road to new four-lane bridge be completed at the earliest.
They said the government should follow-up the matter with NH for constructing approach road soon. They complained that in absence of approach road the Opa-Khandepar Junction has turned dangerous.
According to Sandeep Parkar, the new four-lane bridge was inaugurated hurriedly in 2018 without completing approach road towards the Ponda side of the bridge and due to this people residing at Khandepar- OPA junction have been compelled to undergo hardship. The Opa-Khandepar Junction has turned dangerous for pedestrians on account of the heavy vehicles commuting along the service road of the bridge suddenly taking the internal roads. The new bridge is used for one-way traffic. In absence of approach road, the vehicles coming from Belgaum after commuting along bridge are diverted via the elevated service road of bridge to the main road at OPA-Khandepar Junction to proceed towards Ponda.
The locals complained that in absence of approach road, the Portuguese-era Khandepar Bridge is overburdened with heavy traffic and could collapse any moment. The old Khandepar bridge is used by vehicles proceeding from Ponda to Usgao.
They claimed that the bridge has 16 tonnes carriage capacity for heavy vehicles however in recent times vehicles with 30 tonnes carriage capacity are reportedly commuting along the bridge which can collapse any moment.
