Godinho: Use Bailey bridge until Porvorim flyover ready

Panaji: Construction of the six-lane elevated highway corridor in Porvorim is expected to begin soon. Transport minister Mauvin Godinho said that he has suggested to the chief minister that a Bailey bridge be constructed for traffic to pass while the construction is on.
Earlier this month, the Union government had sanctioned Rs 2,228 crore for various highway projects, including the 4.7km elevated highway in Porvorim. PWD minister Nilesh Cabral had said that a traffic management plan is being drawn for traffic flow during the construction. Cabral had said that it will take at least four to five years to complete the construction of the elevated highway and some inconvenience to the public cannot be avoided.
Godinho has suggested construction of a Bailey bridge, which is a prefabricated, temporary, but sturdy structure. He was speaking during the open forum organised at the Institute Menezes Braganza to receive public suggestions to improve traffic management.
When the transport minister first began his speech, he was heckled by a few attendees for being “good only in giving speeches” and asked him to “sit down quietly”. Raising his voice to drown the hecklers’, Godinho said, “We are not here to lobby for the benefit of a few people, but for the greater good of all citizens.”
However, chief minister Pramod Sawant, who was present, had to intervene. “This is not a gram sabha,” Sawant said. “This is the first time that the government has invited suggestions at a forum like this and the three of the state’s ministers have come together to hear people’s views.”
“We could’ve easily let this be an online forum. We are having an open discussion to hear people in person. We are prepared to hear out each person even if it takes all day,” he said.