Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: The Margao Western bypass has finally been put into service after a protracted wait.
The government opened the western bypass for traffic on Monday in response to the surge in heavy traffic on National Highway 66 and the anticipated worsening of the situation before the holiday season.
The abrupt events occurred on Sunday morning after Salcete Minister Aleixo Sequeira met with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant following his return from Rajasthan and pleaded vehemently for the bypass to be inaugurated as soon as possible, given the high volume of traffic that was straining the roads in Margao and the eastern bypass.
Phased traffic openings have been made to the 11-kilometer Margao western bypass, which connects Verna and Navelim without going through the commercial capital.
More than a year ago, the Verna-Nuvem and Navelim-Benaulim segments were made accessible to traffic. Due to ongoing agitation by the residents of Benaulim, Mungul, and Seraulim in support of their demand that the bypass be built on stilts, work on the 2.5 km length between Benaulim and Seraulim delayed the commissioning of the full 11-km route.
After the government approved the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) expert panel’s suggestion to construct 1.2 km of the 2.5 km balance stretch of the bypass on stilts, work on the remaining portion finally started more than a year ago.
