Panaji: If the traffic congestion on both sides of the Zuari bridge is not enough, the closure of one path from Jalan Bypass Agaasaaim on NH 66 for concretization is aggravating the problem of traffic, which is only expected to deteriorate during festive and peak tourist seasons.
The closure of the lane has been notified until December 15.
All vehicle movements from Panaji to Margao are currently being transferred through the narrow village of Goa Velha-pillar village, choking the traffic movement between the two districts.
Only on Thursday last week were several vehicles that were allowed regardless of the closure of the lane, on the road development below.
PWD issued a notification for the closure of a single lane while between October 27 and December 15 to facilitate the construction of national highways.
Only the shoulder is narrow and very wavy from the construction highway which is open to vehicle coatings between the Bridge of Zuari and Bambolim.
Vehicles traveling from North Goa towards Vasco and Margao as a result were abandoned without choice but took the Goa Velha-Pilar road.
The two narrow lane road has seen bumper-to-bumper traffic since the bypass road is closed.
When the KTC bus, especially the spacious electric bus, stops for passengers along this route even for a few seconds, traffic accumulates because there is no alternative on the road two lanes.
Congestion is seen from Siridao to the bridge during rush hour.
PWD officials told Ti that Dilip Buildcon, the contractor for the Zuari Bridge, is expected to finish putting the concrete sidewalk on Tuesday, after the concrete will meet 8 more days to heal.
Quality can suffer the installation pressure to open the way, said PWD.
There was a plan to open the bridge wing on December 19 to mark the 60 years of Goa’s exemption.
“Technically, 28 days are needed to cure concrete and to be strengthened.
But we are unable to get a lot of time.
Consider the traffic situation, we might have to open the way before it.
A service path to let the part of the traffic has been opened and there are plans for opened the whole road on December 10, “said Pwd Toi.
A regular engineer and commuter on the route said concretization work can be taken in the slack season.
“They wasted that time.
This is just a bad project management.
Other choices can succeed,” he said.
The traffic situation is likely to be more chaotic with the Indian international film festival, Novena and the St Francis Xavier party, a long weekend, Christmas and New Year.
Mariano Pinto, an office audience traveling between Margao and Porvorim, told Ti that he had begun to take two-wheeled vehicles than his car to work.
“It’s not easy to ride on the road that is not paved and dusty on bypassiasaim by two-wheeled vehicles, but if I take my car, the whole trip is longer and needed for me.
Potholes and uneven road stretches are also responsible for slowing down traffic, “He told Ti.
He suggested that the taxi from North Goa proceed to the airport was diverted through Jalan Verna instead of being allowed to submit in the cortalim circle, which was also visible congestion.
DYSP Traffic (North) Salim Shaikh, told TII that 50 traffic police personnel had been deployed between Bambolim and Cortalim and on the internal pillar road.
“We do our best to ensure that traffic continues to move,” he said.