A wait for new street or a bypass that aim at reducing the distance of travel is always awaited with much enthusiasm. The village of Canacona is another such example with the villagers and travellers awaiting the dream of waking up to the new bypass inaugural.
The bypass was inaugurated by Honourable Chief Minister for Goa Mr Pramod Sawant and Babul Supriyo Union minister for Environment, Forest and Climate along with Isidore Fernandes Canacona MLA among other dignitateires. In honour of the late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the 6.21kms long bypass has also officially been named Manohar Parrikar highway and will also reduce the travel distance by 15kms.
The highway in question is the new bypass connecting Char Rasta to Mashem in Canacona. It has 3 bridges and 6 overpasses including a major underpass at Char Rasta. The bridges include Talpona Bridge (450m), Galgibaga Bridge (500m) and Mashem Bridge (130m).
The Manohar Parrikar bypass NH66 also has a scenic view with the river and beach view on the side of the highway. Travellers can get a spectacular view of the beaches and rivers many of which were not so easily accessible from the earlier narrow highway. The commissioning of the new highway will also lead to instant decongestion of the old highway with majority of the traffic especially heavy vehicles diverted along the new route thus lending the villagers a sigh of relief.
We hope in the future the highway from Cuncolim to Char Rasta will also improve thus reducing the number of accidents and cutting travel time as well. What are your views on the new highway finally being thrown open for traffic; will it serve its purpose well in the years to come? Let us know in the comments section below.