Western bypass comes under scanner

GOVT MUST ASSESS FEASIBILITY OF CREATING BYPASS LINKS TO EASE MARGAO CONGESTION: STAKEHOLDERS

- GUILHERME ALMEIDA

It's been nearly nine months since the 11-km-long Margao Western Bypass — constructed at a staggering cost of Rs 482 crore — was inaugurated with much fanfare in December last year. While the bypass has indeed played its role in decongesting the commercial capital by diverting National Highway traffic that previously passed through the town or the East-em Bypass, it has now raised questions about its overall utility and planning

A key question now confronting PWD consultants and planners is this: Did the project adequately account for loca! traffic movement to truly maximize decongestion and utility for residents?

Local motorists, particularly from the Salcete coastal belt heading toward the commercial capital — especially the Old Market area, a hub for public services — as well as tourists visiting the iconic Colva Beach, may not find the bypass very user-friendly or convenient.

The reasons are not hard to identify. A major shortcoming lies in the design of the elevated stretch — over a kilometre-long — from Mungul to the wholesale fish market. This section of the bypass, built entirely on stilts, lacks any provision for service roads, thereby limiting access for local traffic and rendering it ineffective for city-villages connectivity.