Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the ambitious twin observatory towers and restaurant project atop the new Zuari Bridge is slated for completion by March 31, 2031.
Gadkari clarified that the Centre has not sanctioned the construction work for the towers or the revolving restaurant. However, responding to a request from the Goa government, the Union government has issued an in-principle NOC allowing the State to lease government land for the project. The facilities will include an observatory gallery, cafeteria and a non-revolving restaurant, all to be developed under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
According to timelines shared by the State, the project is expected to be finished by 2031. The ground-breaking ceremony for the ₹270-crore venture was conducted by Gadkari on May 23.
In 2023, the PWD signed a concession agreement with Zuari Observatory Towers, a subsidiary of Dilip Buildcon, for the construction of the twin towers and viewing galleries. The concessionaire is required to complete the project within three years of commencing work. Gadkari had earlier flagged delays in initiation.
A wind tunnel test on the tower model was completed last November. The design—currently undergoing proofing by a consultant—proposes two towers of approximately 110 metres in height, one on each side of the bridge, each featuring four decks, with three open to the public. Each tower will be able to host over 500 visitors simultaneously.
Access will be provided via a permanent walkway, with high-speed elevators carrying visitors to the upper decks. The project is being executed on a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) basis, allowing the private operator to recover costs through visitor charges. Under the agreement, the concessionaire will run the facility for 50 years, during which visitors will pay entry fees to use the observatory.
