Nighttime traffic diversion to kick in on June 24

Panaji/Vasco: Brining about the pains of additional travel of 18 km for the gains of a new bridge over the Zuari,  the government on Thursday issued a notification stipulating that Verna to Cortalim stretch of the national highway will be closed from June 24 to October 15, 2019  between 11 pm to 7 am for all vehicular traffic except emergency vehicles like ambulances, fire etc.

The closure of the particular stretch of the national highway has been necessitated by the  ongoing work of the expansion of  the national highway and the construction work for the new bridge on  the Zuari.

Vehicular traffic will be diverted from Verna Titan junction on NH-17   and NH 17B-MES College Zuarinagar junction-Airport junction, Dabolim–Chicalim junction (NH-17A) to Cortalim junction (NH-17 and NH-17A in both directions during this period.

The notification on the route diversion has been issued after the Union ministry of road transport and highways  approved the closure.

“Work of erecting spine and wing segment of the superstructure on new Zuari bridge approach towards Cortalim side is taken up and due to the restricted width available in the stretch between Santrant slope to Cortalim junction on existing NH-17, night closure is to be enforced for the stretch,” the notification said.  “The highway traffic shall be diverted from Verna Titan junction on NH-17 and NH 17B-MES College Zuarinagar junction-Airport junction, Dabolim-Chicalim junction (NH 17A)-Cortalim Junction (NH-17 and NH-17 A),”  it further said.

Some people have welcomed the decision of the state government to divert the vehicular traffic during the nighttime, as the government  has not closed the stretch round the clock.

It is pertinent to note here that  there  had been a move to build  a parallel service road along the Konkan railway track – from Santrant to Cortalim – to divert the traffic and facilitate the bridge work. However, the government  may now abandon the proposal with issuing the notification stipulating traffic diversion.