VASCO: Traffic diversion is proposed from Birla junction via Sancoale village to facilitate the ongoing works of NH17 between Verna and Cortalim.
The diversion would increase the travel on Verna-Cortalim- Panjim and vice versa route by 18 kilometers and cause immense hardship to the commuters.
Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha has conceded that she would not be able to seek any relief for the commuters over the long diversion.
Speaking to media persons, she said that there is no other alternative to closing down of the road from Cortalim to Verna for facilitation of the completion of flyover.
“The diversion of the route will increase to 18 kms, the travel on the Margao-Nuvem-Verna-Cortalim-Panjim route and will increase the time of travel as well. But for the completion of the work of the bridge the closure seems inevitable,” Saldanha stated.
She further said that the internal routes passing from villages around the proposed diversion route will have to be monitored for vehicles taking shortcuts as there are schools and people habitation in these areas.
However, expressing displeasure over the development, Sancoale Sarpanch Girish Pillai said that the authorities have to take the affected panchayats into confidence so that solutions without any problems to locals can be arrived. He claimed that the proposed route is going to cause havoc on all internal roads.
Defending the decision to divert traffic, Traffic Cell Police Inspector Roy Pereira said that since there is a lot of traffic on this stretch, they have realized that it is not going to be safe for the vehicular movements while heavy machinery moves heavy construction works all over the road.
