‘Mishaps’ lead to heavy traffic jam along NH66

NT NETWORK

Vasco

Three accidents and breakdown of a car on the Zuari bridge led to a heavy traffic jam along the national highway (NH) 66 on Saturday evening putting all those rushing to the Dabolim airport and railway stations to board their flights and trains and also the daily commuters to hardships.

The traffic jam was reported at 4 pm, and continued late evening; long queues of vehicles could be seen on the either sides of the Zuari bridge. The vehicles were stranded in the queues along the bypass road and even the road leading to Pillar from the Agacaim junction where the bypass road commences.

The long queues of vehicles were also observed along the Sancoale road (NH17) and also along the road running towards Santrant from the Cortalim junction.

Several tourists heading towards the Dabolim airport and even to Margao and Vasco railway stations became the victims of the traffic block.

Ambulances carrying patients referred to Goa Medical College (GMC) and Hospital, Bambolim, from various government hospitals from South Goa district were seen ‘trapped’ in the traffic jam.

“I took almost two hours to cross the Zuari bridge from Agacaim while coming from Panaji. I was ferrying  foreign tourists who also were surprised to see massive traffic jam in the tiny state of Goa. The tourists were totally disturbed as they were supposed to board a flight. However, they were lucky enough as they had checked out of their hotel room in North Goa some five hours early. Otherwise, they could have missed their flight,” said a taxi operator Anand Narvekar.

Narvekar said that some of the tourists might have missed their flights as they found themselves trapped in the traffic jam.

When contacted, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) North Goa, Dharmesh Angle said, “The massive traffic blockade that was reported on Saturday evening along the Zuari bridge was due to accidents and breakdown of a car at the Zuari bridge.”

He said that three accidents were reported on the Zuari bridge from 4 pm onwards and even there was a breakdown of Maruti Ritz car.

“The massive traffic jam along the Zuari bridge was due to three accidents and breakdown of a car during the peak hours on Saturday evening,” he informed.

He said that the flow of traffic along Zuari bridge is more during the weekend because of the tourists.

He also said that the intersection point underneath the Konkan railway over bridge near the Cortalim junction slows the traffic flow with the vehicles coming down from Panaji and Cortalim ferry point despite the deployment  of traffic policemen there. The traffic diversion underneath Konkan railway over bridge in done to pave the way for the construction of new Zuari bridge which is going at a fast
pace.

“Despite the deployment of traffic and police personnel along the Zuari bridge for smooth traffic flow, the congestion of traffic has been a regular affair as the motorists try to overtake each other. It is my request to the motorists to avoid overtaking when there is a traffic jam,” said Angle.