Rs 1k crore to drive better quality roads across Goa

PORVORIM: A provision of Rs 1,000 crore has been made in the state budget to take up improvement of riding quality surface in all assembly constituencies. A total of 1,700km of road length will be resurfaced during 2023-24. Chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday that the target is to complete 500km at a cost of Rs 280 crore before the onset of the monsoon.
Sawant also said that the second section of the new Zuari bridge will be opened for use by December 2023 and it will be a permanent solution to the traffic issues in this section. Importantly, a provision of Rs 250 crore has been made for the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation to build the Salvador Do Mundo-Chodan bridge.

The PWD’s budget has been hiked by 28%, making a total provision of Rs 2,687.5 crore.
“The new Borim bridge is in the final stages of approval and I am also happy to state that Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has accepted our proposal for construction of a circular road to allow traffic travelling to other states to cross over without adding to the traffic in Goa. Gadkari has already issued a consultancy letter,” the CM said.
He said that the state government has already prepared an annual plan for 2023-24 for Rs 3,630.8 crore worth of highway projects, which “will be soon submitted to the Union government and we are confident of receiving the sanctions at an early date”.
The projects will include four-laning of Ponda to Bhoma section (Rs 750 crore), four-laning of existing road from Sanjeevani sugar factory to Khandepar (Rs 600 crore), four-laning of Anmod to Mollem section (Rs 1,500 crore) and construction of foot overbridge at Fulancho Khuris, Bambolim (Rs 7 crore).
Additionally, four-laning from Cortalim, Nagoa to Verna section (Rs 550 crore) and four-laning of Karmal Ghat section (Rs 200 crore) will also be taken up, Sawant said.
Also, during 2023-24, Rs 2.5 crore has been allotted per assembly constituency under MLA-Local Area Development Scheme, Goa Scheme with a total outlay of Rs 100 crore, he said.
For devotees visiting the Paik-Dev Devasthan at Sanguem and Sanguem Industrial Estate a single-span bridge will be built at Rs 15 crore.
“All public works services will be available through a digital platform and I propose to offer 100% digital governance in the department. Through a single app, citizens will be able to take benefit of all services of the PWD,” Sawant said.