25.6.08

Goa: Work on new Salcete bridges to start in Aug

The Goa PWD minister Churchill Alemao announced that the construction work on all the three proposed bridges in Salcete — Sinquetim to Benaulim, Talaulim to Varca and Cavelossim to Assolna — will be commenced within the next two-three months.Alemao further informed that the work of laying the Salaulim parallel pipeline would be complete by August and that the water storage reservoirs — two in North and in South Goa — would also be commissioned soon.Concerned over the spate of road accidents on the national highways passing through the state, the PWD minister Churchill Alemao urged the cabinet minister for shipping, road transport and highways, T R Baalu to expedite the task of four laning of the national highways undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Alemao went on to further inform that he requested the union minister to grant permission for the state to undertake the task of four laning of the NH 17 and NH4A on BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer) basis if the task done through the NHAI entailed any further delay in the commencement of the work. The NHAI has already undertaken the task of four laning of 139 km stretch of NH 17 and 69 km stretch of NH4A passing through Goa, which also includes five major bridges — Colvale, Mandovi, Zuari, Talpona and Galgibaga on NH 17. Making a strong pitch for execution of the four laning project in a time bound manner, Alemao went on to insist that all the stake holders in the project, which included the state government and the local public need to be taken into confidence. Alemao, in his speech, further demanded that necessary funding should be done by the central government for the maintenance of the existing national highways in the state until the four laning project is completed.He also urged the central government to approve more schemes under Central Road Fund (CRF) for Goa, Alemao informed.

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