Concrete cover on Cortalim stretch to ease traffic flow

PANAJI: In a bid to provide relief to the commuters from frequent traffic jams taking place along the Margao-Panaji route, the government has decided to impart concrete cover to the ‘problematic stretch’ of road on this route, during the next week.

Traffic congestions are taking place at around Cortalim due to the large number of potholes on the road which, following a shower of rain, aggravate the situation due to the water which gets accumulated in them. These traffic jams, in turn, disturb the smooth and free flow of traffic along this route, right from Verna to Agassaim.

The public works department tried to fill these potholes with rubble stones, but this only proved to be a temporary measure, which could not provide any respite to the drivers of the vehicles.

Minister for Public Works Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar told ‘The Navhind Times’ that if the rain subsides by Friday evening then the work of marking this ‘problematic stretch’ of road for its concreting would start on the night of Friday/ Saturday.

“We are fully aware that the ongoing construction work of the new cable-stayed Zuari bridge has been delayed, in turn, causing traffic woes to the public travelling on the Panaji-Margao route,” Dhavalikar stated, pointing out that the public works department would be providing concrete cover to the particular stretch of road, just as it was provided to the Porvorim road, which had developed potholes and caused similar problems to the commuters.

“For this, we however, would need support from the public,” the Minister for Public Works said, appealing to the commuters travelling from Margao to Vasco to travel via Verna-Sancoale road to the port town. He also informed that the concreting work would take place only during the night time.

Dhavalikar further maintained that the entire work would require at least eight days for its completion. “We cannot allow the vehicles to travel on this road immediately, as soon as the potholes are filled with concrete,” he observed, adding that first, concreting of five metres of road on one side would be taken up, followed by concreting work on the other five metres of the road.

Incidentally, many commuters travelling on the particular route are taking diversion via Ponda to avoid the uncomfortable traffic situation, in turn, spending more time on their travelling between the two cities.