‘Team’s recommendations to guide traffic rules’
Margao/Panaji: Following growing public anxiety over a fatal crash on the recently inaugurated Porvorim flyover that claimed two lives within 24 hours of its opening, Minister for Public Works (PWD) Digambar Kamat confirmed that an expert team from IIM-Nagpur will inspect the elevated corridor on Saturday.
The team will recommend corrective measures to streamline traffic movement and prevent further accidents, Kamat said.
He said that the experts will inspect the site alongside PWD Principal Chief Engineer Sandip Chodnekar and other officials, after which the engineers will submit a detailed report to him.
In the wake of the fatal collision, the government prohibited two-wheelers from using the flyover and closed the entry and exit points near Hotel Neo Majestic.
When asked whether these restrictions would be reviewed, Kamat said that the government would be guided strictly by the technical team’s recommendations before taking any further decisions.
The traffic restrictions have drawn criticism from Tourism Minister and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte, who has said that he was not consulted on closing the access points. Khaunte has said that Porvorim residents endured considerable inconvenience during construction and should now be able to benefit from the flyover.
Kamat declined to comment directly on Khaunte’s remarks, stating that any decisions regarding traffic access will rely on expert technical advice following Saturday’s inspection.
Meanwhile, Chodnekar, police officials and project contractors inspected the flyover and its approach roads on Friday, though Chodnekar declined to comment.
A senior PWD official indicated that while traffic violations cannot be eliminated entirely, the department is examining safeguards to minimise future incidents, with plans to partially lift restrictions once safety protocols are established. Initial safety assessments will focus on the Porvorim stretch before expanding to other critical corridors statewide, the official said.
To curb reckless driving and prevent high-speed collisions, authorities are evaluating several engineering and enforcement solutions. Proposed measures include targeted structural adjustments, improved access points to merge local traffic with regional transit routes, barricading service lanes to separate local traffic from the main carriageway and deploying speed cameras, particularly along the descending stretch toward Porvorim from Atal Setu.
No final decision on permanent adjustments has been made, officials said. The PWD plans to present its preliminary findings to the IIM-Nagpur team to collaboratively finalise a strategy within a day or two, while also taking the local MLA into confidence before making a final call.
