Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, MMC Chairperson Girish Borkar, and a GAMMON India official inspected the ongoing construction work of the up-ramp near the IOC junction in Vasco on Thursday morning. During the inspection, Salkar highlighted the project’s near completion and its benefits to the city’s traffic flow.
Project Progress and Benefits:
Salkar noted that the project, now 90% complete, features broad service roads of 6 meters each below the up-ramp. “When the project was launched, several people raised objections, fearing it would be a disaster. However, today, the project is almost 90% complete with broad roads below the ramp. This up-ramp will be a new exit from Vasco and decongest the city’s traffic. People wanting to leave the city can use this up-ramp, which will connect Vasco to the four-lane port connectivity flyover. This eliminates the need for a long detour via Chicalim,” Salkar stated.
He expressed gratitude to GAMMON India for their work on the project, which includes the construction of gutters on either side of the road to ensure smooth rainwater flow. Salkar also mentioned several other ongoing projects aimed at revamping Vasco city.
Temporary Opening for Saptah Festival:
MMC Chairperson Girish Borkar announced plans to temporarily open the service roads below the ramp ahead of the upcoming Damodar Saptah festival. “Last year, we had to shift furniture stalls to the Tanya open space, causing inconvenience to residents. This year, however, we will have the furniture stalls at their usual locations once the road is opened temporarily. We are celebrating the 125th year of the annual Damodar Bhajani Saptah festival, and we want to ensure that residents and devotees are not inconvenienced,” Borkar explained. He thanked GAMMON India for agreeing to open the service road temporarily for the festival.
Traffic Management:
Vasco Traffic PI Shailesh Narvekar, who was also present at the inspection, said that all options would be studied before allowing traffic to move along the service roads.
Conclusion:
The up-ramp project near the IOC junction is set to significantly improve traffic movement in Vasco. With the anticipated temporary opening of the service roads for the Saptah festival, residents and devotees can look forward to smoother travel and less inconvenience during the celebrations.