Residents and tourists in North Goa can finally expect relief from the battered state of a key road link. The Calangute-Saligao Chogm road stretch, which has been in a state of disrepair for over a year, is set to be fully restored within the next week, according to local MLA Michael Lobo.
Inspection and Apology for Public Inconvenience
On Friday, MLA Michael Lobo conducted a site inspection along with PWD officials, Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, and others. The review took place near the Shivaji statue junction to assess the progress of the long-awaited restoration work.
Addressing the months of hardship faced by the public, Lobo offered an apology. "The people of Calangute and tourists have had to face a lot of inconvenience over the past few months because of road-digging and for that, I want to apologise," he stated. He assured that by the middle of next week, hotmixing of the road will be completed and it will be smooth for traffic.
Root Cause: Utility Works and Public Frustration
The road's poor condition was a direct result of repeated digging for critical infrastructure upgrades. The stretch was excavated for laying electricity cables and water pipelines. However, frequent delays in completing these works and restoring the road surface angered daily commuters.
The situation led to multiple public protests, with locals and visitors expressing deep frustration over the difficult travel conditions that persisted for months.
Major Infrastructure Upgrades Now Complete
MLA Lobo detailed the significant utility work that necessitated the digging. He confirmed that all major underground work is now finished.
All underground electricity cabling and water pipeline work has been completed. This includes laying cables from the Saligao power house substation on the Saligao-Calangute plateau to both the Calangute and Nagoa substations.
Furthermore, new water pipelines have been installed to transport raw water to the new water treatment plant at Calangute and the sump at Umta Vaddo near Calangute beach.
While the main Chogm road is nearing completion, Lobo noted that road-digging will continue on many of Calangute's internal roads to facilitate repairs to sewage chambers, indicating ongoing infrastructure development in the area.
