Panaji: The Rs 641 crore six-lane elevated corridor in Porvorim, scheduled to be inaugurated on Sep 9 and opened to traffic on Sep 11, is expected to carry about 75,000 to 80,000 vehicles a day, or nearly 60% of the traffic on the stretch, PWD officials said.The 5.1km corridor, which runs Hotel Majestic in Porvorim to the junction at the Guirim end, is expected to ease congestion on the Mapusa-Panaji route. Tourism minister and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte said the project had been planned to meet the area’s infrastructure needs over the next 15 to 20 years.“The corridor will ease congestion on the Mapusa–Panaji route, improve connectivity and make travel between North and South Goa faster and more convenient. This has been a vision since 2012, and its completion marks an important milestone in Goa’s development. We are building the infrastructure today with the needs of a growing Goa in mind,” Khaunte said.PWD executive engineer Gajanan Desai said the remaining 40% of traffic would continue to use the road at ground level. “The flyover is designed to handle a substantial volume of daily traffic, and we anticipate around 75,000 to 80,000 vehicles using the elevated section every day. The maintenance contract is also in place for the next 10 years, ensuring that the infrastructure is properly maintained over the long term,” Desai said.The project, executed by Rajasthan-based RRSM Infra, began on Sep 5, 2024. The company will also maintain the corridor for 10 years.The project comprises 88 columns and 1,431 precast segments and marks the first use of segment casting and launching technology in Goa.The construction posed environmental and geological engineering challenges on the Porvorim plateau. A specialised launcher was used to lift and hold the precast segments in position during construction.The launcher had a capacity of 2,040 tonnes, compared with the usual capacity of around 1,600 tonnes, as it had to hold 17 segments simultaneously. Each segment weighs about 120 tonnes — equivalent to three trucks — meaning the launcher had to support the weight of around 51 trucks at a time.PROJECT STRUCTURENo. of piles in ground | 530No. of pile caps or foundation bases | 88No. of piers or columns | 88No. of pier caps or column crowns | 88No. of superstructure precast segments | 1,431Project also includes* Underground utility ducts and shifting of existing utility lines* Drainage along existing NH 66 in Porvorim* Footpath to come up over utility ducts and drainages on ground below the elevated corridor* 10-year elevated highway maintenance period* Landscaping below elevated highway
