Panaji: The work of expanding the national highway stretches in the state into four-lane roads is scheduled to be completed by December 2019, government officials said. It will allow commuters to travel at nearly double the present speed, easing congestion across Goa.
The work has been designed after the consultants for the project considered the traffic projections upto 2030. As per plans, these roads are likely to be converted to six-lane roads, post 2030.
"As per instructions from the central government, provision is being made to convert the existing roads into six-lane roads, wherever land is available," an official said.
Project Highway will also include structure improvements, including
widening, repair and reconstruction/new construction of bridges along the highway stretch.
To avoid traffic chaos at crossroads along stretches of the four-lane roads, the project will also involve construction of underpasses, overpasses, flyovers and elevated corridors. The entire project, including the bridges such as the new Zuari bridge, isestimated to cost over Rs 15,000 crore.
A 135.96km-long stretch of road will be converted into a four-lane road as part of the highway expansion of NH-17 (now NH 66).
On NH-17B, Gammon India is building the elevated road-cum-flyover at Rs 397 crore. The project will also connect NH 17-B to MPT's berth No. 9. The cost of the entire project is Rs 546 crore. The four-lane highway project is meant to divert heavy traffic from the city roads, reduce accidents and decrease sound and air pollution in the port town.
The highway widening of NH-4A covers a length of around 70km from Panaji to Molem.
