Team Herald:
The national highway project has been funded by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar plans to lay the foundation stone on December 19.
PWD officials stated that after construction of the link road, Verna will be directly connected to Loutolim and this will reduce the distance by almost six kilometers.
The 2.5 km road will connect the Verna industrial estate to Loutolim and some parts of the important National Highway 17-B. PWD officials stated that the road stops at a dead-end on the cliff at the end of the industrial estate and the area where the road will be built falls in a very steep terrain with a level difference between Verna and Loutolim of almost 85 meters for a distance of 200 meters.
It is to be noted that currently, normal traffic and trucks coming to the industrial estate follow the circuitous route through Loutolim, Rasaim, Cortalim and Verna. Furthermore, the new road will also connect Vasco to Ponda via the Borim bridge.
PWD officials stated that they expect to receive the bids in August and following scrutiny, the financial bids will be opened.
