While the PWD (roads) has proposed to build a concrete culvert on a key road at Khorlim in Mapusa at an estimated cost of Rs 23 lakh, plans are afoot to dismantle the current weak Portuguese-era structure and build a temporary access with concrete pipes.
The pre-liberation culvert was last week shut for vehicular traffic after it developed a hole and has been declared as weak and dangerous.
The road with the culvert served as a link to several other wards in Khorlim including to a prominent school in the area.
Although four-wheelers have been completely barred from using the road, two-wheeler riders are still using the road which serves as a shortcut route.
A PWD official informed that the culvert built during the Portuguese era is more than 60 years old which has become weak and could collapse anytime.
“It’s a small arch type culvert built more than half a century back. The corner stone which held the culvert together has dislodged and the entire culvert could fall anytime,” the official said.
He said that the PWD Executive Engineer will submit a report to the Collector about the condition of the culvert so that an order could be issued to close the road for all traffic.
The PWD official informed that a proposal has been made to construct a new concrete culvert at the site at an estimated cost of Rs 23 lakh.
In the meanwhile, there are plans to construct a temporary road with concrete pipes as work on the culvert could be taken up only after the monsoon.
While inspecting the culvert along with the PWD officials, Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza recently said that work on the culvert will be taken up on top priority.
“The work on the culvert will be taken up and completed as early as possible. I request the local residents to cooperate with the authorities and avoid using the stretch for their own safety,” D’Souza said.
