Commuters in distress with Porvorim road work diversions

Panaji: As parts of road stretches along the NH66 in Porvorim are closed with effect from Jan 2 to complete the construction of a six-lane elevated highway at Porvorim, locals and commuters complained of massive congestion, long commuting time, and dusty air, making travel along the stretch an unbearable experience. The diversions are set as two sections of NH66 will be shut for two months.

Locals were distressed by route navigation and the air pollution caused by the construction. Nilesh Medekar, a restaurant owner in Porvorim, said, “The construction caused more chaos on this stretch of the road than before. Not only tourists, locals too are having a hard time trying to navigate through the diversions.”


He added that the pollution caused by the construction became an added problem for locals. “The average time to get to Panaji from Porvorim is 10–15 mins. With the diversion and the construction work, it may take at least 45 minutes to reach Panaji.”

Tourist footfall is also one of the reasons for congestion at peak hours. Some commuters also resorted to taking alternate routes, via a ferry ride from Betim to Panaji, to avoid the congestion.

Digambar Thakur, a resident, said, “Taking the ferry ride instead of going through the congestion saves a lot of time. This became an everyday affair. Diversion, or no diversion, the congestion along the stretch of the road is always present.”

Pedestrians on the stretch find it challenging to cross roads amidst the diversion due to massive vehicle volume. Mohan Thapa, a resident of Porvorim, working as a security guard, said, “I was going to get my bicycle, but I thought walking would get me to work quicker. Now, I am regretting it.”

CM Pramod Sawant has said the elevated corridor will be completed by Nov 2026 and inaugurated in Dec 2026.