Panjim: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the right-hand side (RHS) corridor of the new cable-stayed bridge constructed over the Zuari river on December 29 in the evening. This one four-lane section of the new bridge connecting Agaçaim to Cortalim will be thrown open to the traffic on December 30. It is expected to decongest the traffic along the Panjim-Margão highway.

 

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Minister for Public Works Nilesh Cabral have already inspected the bridge. The total length of the new bridge is 13.2 km, while the elevated section is 8.2 km. The work of the second phase of the bridge will take some time to complete. The project costs Rs 2,530 crore, and is being constructed by M/s Dilip Buildcon Ltd.

 

A notification has said the old Zuari bridge will be one-way from the Panjim side to the Margão and Mormugão side for light two-axle vehicular traffic of weight up to 12 tonnes, while the new Zuari bridge’s right-hand side’s leftmost one lane will be one-way for vehicles from the Panjim side to the Margão and Mormugão side for heavy vehicular traffic of weight more than 12 tonne. The remaining three lanes of the new bridge’s right-hand side will be one-way from the Margão and Mormugão side to the Panjim side for all vehicles including heavy vehicles of weight more than 12 tonne.

 

The notification has also said that there will be restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles of weight more than 12 tonnes on the old Zuari bridge for which a height barrier has been erected on the Agaçaim side of the old bridge.