Team Goemkarponn
OLD GOA: A massive traffic jam brought the Banastari–Old Goa stretch of the national highway to a crawl on Monday morning after the closure of the Gandaulim route led to a surge in diverted traffic. With no readily available alternative routes, commuters faced long queues and delays during peak hours.
The Gandaulim route — a key access road for commuters from Marcel, Bicholim, Sanquelim, and even Belagavi — has been closed to facilitate the construction of a long-pending railway overbridge.
Traffic police were deployed to regulate the flow and ease congestion, but bottlenecks persisted throughout the day. Authorities have urged motorists to plan alternate routes via Banastarim or Corlim industrial estate until normal traffic resumes.
“The new overbridge will bring much-needed relief to daily commuters and residents of the area,” said Cumbarjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai. “I request everyone’s cooperation and patience while the work is underway. We are committed to completing this project swiftly.”
The overbridge, once completed, is expected to eliminate delays caused by train crossings and streamline movement along this busy corridor. Further updates on the reopening of the Gandaulim route are awaited.
