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Goa elevated corridor use restricted after mishaps kill 2, days after opening
Union minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 5.15-kilometre Porvorim elevated corridor on Wednesday last
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Authorities on Sunday restricted use of the 5.15-kilometre Porvorim elevated corridor in Goa after multiple mishaps at the Panjim exit claimed two lives, days after Union minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated it on Wednesday and it was opened to traffic on Friday. Work on the corridor began in January 2024 after procedural delays and was built at an estimated cost of ₹364.68 crore.
On Saturday, a car crash that claimed two lives was blamed on a poorly designed entry and exit at the corridor’s southern end leading into Panjim.
Officials said the corridor was shuttered as a temporary measure to assess and monitor the actual traffic movement, pattern, congestion levels, and operational performance.
The corridor and the Atal Setu, which it leads to, built at a cost of over 1,000 crore, will no longer be accessible to traffic to and from Panjim and Porvorim, or to Goa’s popular north Goa beach belt. “All entry and exit points/access towards the Atal Setu side shall remain closed… from the date of implementation until further notice, during which the traffic flow shall be continuously observed and monitored,” the Goa Public Works Department (PWD) said in an order on Sunday evening.
The order said that authorities will monitor travel time, queue length, congestion, diversion patterns and other relevant traffic parameters on the corridor and the adjoining broad network. The PWD banned two-wheelers from using the corridor.
The much-delayed elevated corridor connecting the Mumbai-Goa highway to Panaji was expected to reduce bottlenecks en route to popular beaches such as Calangute and Anjuna and Mopa airport.
Last month, state PWD minister Digambar Kamat reviewed the progress of the corridor and emphasised the highest standards of quality, safety and timely execution. He called the project vital and said it will help ease traffic congestion, strengthen connectivity and provide a smoother commuting experience for the people of Porvorim and Goa. The corridor was inaugurated ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Kamat said the project’s completion will be a major relief for the people of Panjim and Mapusa thanks to faster connectivity between the two places. He added that they have faced congestion on this stretch for years. Kamat said the 5.15-kilometre flyover will bring reduced travel time.
Kamat called the corridor a landmark project reflecting the impact of the double engine government, or Bharatiya Janata Party governments in the state and at the Centre, working together for Goa’s progress.
He said the improved traffic flow will make the daily journey from Mapusa to Panjim much easier, as less time will be spent in traffic and there will be greater convenience for people travelling to work, schools, and for their everyday needs. Kamat called it a welcome change for everyone who uses this route regularly.
The state government had been keen to open the flyover even as finishing work on the project was yet to be completed to ease traffic congestion along the crucial stretch ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Kamat said last month that even though the work on the project is yet to be completed, from a traffic point of view, it is safe to be opened. He added that the work will continue and will be completed.
