PANAJI: After the nightmarish traffic jam on Saturday evening at Cortalim led to over 100 flyers missing their flight, the chief minister's office has conveyed to Dilip Buildcon Pvt Ltd to keep construction work of the new Zuari bridge on the highway on hold till early January for the convenience of commuters. Dilip Buildcon will carry out piling work in the Zuari river in the meantime, sources said.
Officials from the chief minister's office and the traffic cell met officers of Dilip Buildcon on Sunday.
Sources said that, during the discussion on Sunday, Dilip Buildcon was told that as Goa gets the largest number of tourists during the month of December till New Year, it would be best to keep work of construction of the new Zuari bridge on hold until the first week of January.
So far, part of the highway from Bambolim to Verna has been cordoned off for construction work of the new bridge. But as the work progresses, Dilip Buildcon will be required to cordone off more areas of the highway, further narrowing down the breadth of the highway available for traffic to pass through.
Sources said that state officials were, therefore, of the view that this work should be kept on hold till the peak year-end tourist season ends.
Officials of Dilip Buildcon have also provided suggestions from their end. "In most places, one lane of the highway has been cordoned off, reducing the road to one lane for traffic from both sides to pass. This has left these parts of the highway with no dividers. Many commuters are cutting into the other lane due to this. Dilip Buildcon officials have suggested that though the road has been reduced to a single lane, it would be best to convert this single lane into two lanes using a divider as it will discourage lane cutting," said an official in the know.
It is felt that though traffic will move at a slow pace due to this divider being erected in a single lane, it can at least flow, unlike during Saturday's incident where the road was completely blocked due to lane cutting.
Officials from the chief minister's office and the traffic cell met officers of Dilip Buildcon on Sunday.
Sources said that, during the discussion on Sunday, Dilip Buildcon was told that as Goa gets the largest number of tourists during the month of December till New Year, it would be best to keep work of construction of the new Zuari bridge on hold until the first week of January.
So far, part of the highway from Bambolim to Verna has been cordoned off for construction work of the new bridge. But as the work progresses, Dilip Buildcon will be required to cordone off more areas of the highway, further narrowing down the breadth of the highway available for traffic to pass through.
Sources said that state officials were, therefore, of the view that this work should be kept on hold till the peak year-end tourist season ends.
Officials of Dilip Buildcon have also provided suggestions from their end. "In most places, one lane of the highway has been cordoned off, reducing the road to one lane for traffic from both sides to pass. This has left these parts of the highway with no dividers. Many commuters are cutting into the other lane due to this. Dilip Buildcon officials have suggested that though the road has been reduced to a single lane, it would be best to convert this single lane into two lanes using a divider as it will discourage lane cutting," said an official in the know.
It is felt that though traffic will move at a slow pace due to this divider being erected in a single lane, it can at least flow, unlike during Saturday's incident where the road was completely blocked due to lane cutting.
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