TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Come Independence Day 2013 and work on seven bridges across rivers in the state will commence with the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation Board giving approval for their construction.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told a press conference that the seven bridges are the Virdi-Amona bridge (to reduce the distance between Virdi near Sanquelim and Panjim) the Betim-Panjim signature bridge, the Keri Tiracol bridge, the Shiroda-Rachol bridge, the Chorao-Pomburpa bridge as well as a grade separator outside the airport to help traffic cross over the highway. He said that the remaining portion of the four laning of the NH-17B was also handed over to the GSIDC.
The Panjim-Betim bridge project would include a revolving restaurant, Parrikar said adding, that no approach roads from the new bridge would lead directly into the city and that it would have just two pillars.
Delving into details, Parrikar said that the Keri-Tiracol bridge would be such that it would be a single span bridge with span of 270 metres in order that there are no pillars within the river bed nor on the sand. The Tuem-Camurlim bridge across the River Chapora connecting Tuem in Pernem to Camurlim in Bardez would involve a road tunnel on the Camurlim side in order to avoid taking the road either above the hill and avoid too much hill cutting.
The Shiroda-Rachol bridge, he said would be only for Light Motor Vehicles in order to offset some of the concerns raised by the villagers of Rachol that they would be affected by the heavy traffic. Parrikar also sought to allay fears of land acquisition, saying that the bridge would lead to existing roads and no new land would be acquired on the Rachol side. “I expect that by 2014 projects worth Rs 3,000-4,000 crore will either be complete or underway,” Parrikar said.
State sets deadline for Centre on new bridge across River Zuari
The State will give the Central government time till June 30 to respond to the draft Memorandum of Understanding for building a new bridge across River Zuari. “We are giving them a deadline of June 30. If they do not respond we will go ahead and appoint a consultant,” Parrikar said. He also said that the inauguration of the Calvim-Carona bridge was being delayed by about a month as the government had asked the builders to increase the size of the main span across the river from 100m to 120m in order that it may not hinder navigation and movement of barges. “The date of inauguration will be either June 20 or 30,” he said.
