Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: In yet another illegality, PWD has laid unauthorised rumblers on Manohar Parrikar Canacona Bypass Road (MPCBR) 4-Lane expressway to prevent accidents on the illegal Road Crossing at Kolsar-Galgibaga.
Incidentally, PWD (Highway) responding to a 15th mishap (which left a 2-wheeler rider severally injured after his motorbike was hit by a Car proceeding on the expressway) at the Kolsar-Galgibaga road crossing (@Hotel Matoshree) 3 days ago, have laid rumblers on the Margao bound 2-Lanes and later painted them with reflective white colour.
According to sources citing Highways road manual, Rumblers or Speed breakers are not permitted on Highway roads and particularly Expressway, nor the Rumblers constructed on both sides of the 7Kms 4-lane expressway Bypass road named after late Manohar Parrikar are authorised.
It may be recalled that while several accidents, including two deaths, marred the road-crossing kept (in-place of Road-divider) between the Easter and Western Lanes (2-lanes each), PWD (Highway) had failed to close the same. People alleged the road- Divider is opened at Kolsar inspite of having a service road a few metres away in the same area, just to facilitate a Hotel operating on the eastern side of the road.
This opening providing a Crossing, particularly on an Expressway (part of NH-66 4-Lane), led to accidents whereby a vehicle/2-wheeler crossing the road in either direction is hit by racing highway traffic.
Since the opening of this Crossing from the earlier existing Divider, people recount 15 Mishaps involving Tankers, Trucks, Cars and 2-wheelers, including two deaths in the vicinity, sources informed.
Following bitter complaints from locals and political activists, SDM Canacona and all the concerned departments like road, RTO, and Traffic Police had a joint inspection of the region amidst public demands to erect Road-divider as per original plans.
While police have reportedly recommended closer to the Crossing by constructing a road divider, no action came from any of the authorities, and a 15th mishap left a local resident injured after his motorbike was hit by a Karwar bound Car while he was crossing the same road crossing.
Now, the locals allege that PWD, in their quest to correct the illegal Crossing on the Highway to avert accidents, is instead doing another illegality by constructing Rumblers on either side of the expressway.
By Wednesday night, the sources added the sources, the rumblers were in place on both eastern and Western sides of 4- Lane MPCBR at Kolsar-Galgibaga.
