When it comes to road building, it appears that Goa government is totally at sea. Many times including outside the Dabolim aiport, it seems to be a "mis-planned" activity. It is clear that the BJP government is failing to plan these projects before execution and there is “continuous return to the drawing board to re-visit the design multiple times”.

Lionel Messias
March 29, 2020

This is a rather concise pictorial account of how road engineering (a very important aspect of road building) works in Goa.

Picture 1which is the lead picture and Picture 2 highlight the chaos outside the airport.   It’s a bridge to nowhere being built by the contractor M/s. M. Venkata Rao Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd for the GSSIDC. Work began six years ago and was supposed to be completed in July 2018. Former Chicalim Panchayat sarpanch Francisco Nunes has said that the entire grade separator project and its length is a completely “mis-planned activity”.  He has blamed the BJP government for failing to plan these projects before execution and there is “continuous return to the drawing board to re-visit the design multiple times”.

The Bridge to nowhere:So much for Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho's "tourists arriving in Goa should have good impression about the state"

 Picture 3 was taken at the important Verna traffic circle, just before the Fr. Agnel Ashram complex of schools (the right turn at the traffic circle). In whatever route (or turn) a driver takes, the slightly elevated traffic island and high fencing and even taller plants makes driving a bit complicated because visibility is not as clear and precise as it ought to be. The traffic circle itself is too large in diameter further complicating the situation especially in the absence of speed breakers/rumblers. What you have here is a situation where vehicles including huge trucks speed towards Cortalim from Margao, similar traffic speeding past from Cortalim towards Margao, and also traffic coming from the Verna Church area causing a nightmare situation.

 The chaos at this junction

 A replica of this poor bit of road engineering is repeated further on NH-17 at the foot of the steep Verna hill. The high fencing and tall plants are an impediment again. Heavy traffic hurtling down the hill just does not take into consideration traffic emerging from Nagoa village. It gets worse when vehicles coming from the Margao side must turn right at the traffic circle and head into the village opposite.

Picture 4: Taken at Baina in Vasco embodies the destruction of Goa as does picture 5 and which are well driven paths for any driver in Goa and well covered by the media as well.