Panaji: Works worth around Rs 50 crore will soon begin in Pernem taluka to rectify defects that arose during the expansion of NH 66 through the taluka. A vehicular underpass will be constructed at Naibag, a blackspot, to improve road safety, while landslide protection measures will be taken up along two stretches, including Malpem.All the works are funded by the Union highways ministry. After several accidents at the Naibag junction, locals demanded safety measures to prevent fatalities. In 2024, a traffic signal was installed as a temporary measure, though such signals are not permitted on national highways, until the underpass project could be taken up. The work was later awarded to MD Infra at a cost of Rs 23 crore, and an agreement was signed in Oct last year.The PWD has now announced traffic diversion on NH 66’s temporary extended lanes from Bhatpavni junction to the Naibag signal until June 1, 2026, to facilitate uninterrupted construction of the underpass. The project is being taken up under the annual road safety plan for Goa for 2024-25 to address identified blackspots.Further along NH 66, Bansal Infra has been awarded hillside slope protection work at a cost of Rs 10.1 crore, with the agreement to be signed shortly, officials said.Another problematic stretch lies at Malpem, where hill cutting for the 4/6-laning project made the area landslide-prone. Officials said the ministry sanctioned Rs 14.1 crore in September last year for permanent landslide protection measures. “The bids have been received and are under evaluation at present,” an official said.A landslide protection wall was earlier constructed at Malpem, but during the last monsoon, water run-off accumulated at its base, causing the wall to tilt and parts of it to get damaged.Locals have since expressed fears that the wall could collapse onto passing vehicles.
