CURCHOREM: Around 30-metre stretch of the Curchorem-Assolda main road near the cemetery at Cupramoddi has become unmotorable due to the pot-holes.
The stretch, filled by PWD with mud and pieces of laterite stones, was soon washed away due to incessant rains.
“Previously the gradient of that portion of the road was brought down by excavating the mud after hot-mixing it and this might be the cause,” said Swapnil Dessai, Assistant Engineer of PWD(Roads).
“It will be solved once the road is hot-mixed again,” Dessai added. He also said the estimate has been done and sent for government approval to hot-mix the entire road from Curchorem to Assolda Bridge. “This will be done, most probably, before the next monsoons,” he added.
However, a contractor, who undertakes the work of tarring various roads in the State, has a different opinion.
He said the soil at this particular stretch is very soft and erases very easily therefore the gradient of road should be lowered further and filled with red soil.
“Since the effected portion existed near the four roads (junction) the gradient of the road has to be brought down at least 1.75 metres in all the four sides, 150 metres of each side of the main road and at least 100 metres each of the internal side roads from the junction,” said the contractor.
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, who is also a local MLA, said that he would direct the PWD engineers to study the issue before hot-mixing it.
The locals said the road was last hot-mixed at least eight years back. The traffic on this road has increased manifold since then, including heavy loaded vehicles, thus bringing extra load on the road and therefore requires urgent hot-mix with quality materials, the locals added.
