Foundation stone for Zuari twin towers to be laid this week

Panaji: Work on the two observatory towers with viewing galleries atop the new Zuari bridge will finally begin this week, with a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the Rs 270 crore project scheduled on Friday. On the same day, the foundation stone will be laid for the four-laning of Bhoma to Old Goa road at a cost of over Rs 1,000 crore.

The towers atop the new Zuari bridge will be constructed by Dilip Buildcon, who have built the new cable-stayed Zuari bridge. At the stage of conception of the new Zuari bridge, a provision was made to ensure that the two pylons on North and South Goa sides can carry the weight of the twin towers.

A concession agreement for the work was signed last year and the actual construction work is expected to begin after the monsoon.

The towers are being planned as an international tourist attraction to rival those like the Eiffel Tower. Once ready, the contractor will operate the towers for 50 years and visitors to the observatories will be charged a fee. The cost of construction will be recovered through the entry fees.

It is still being planned whether cafes and other commercial activities can be provided on the towers.

In the meantime, bids have been invited for the work of four-laning of the road from Bhoma to Old Goa. The work is expected to be awarded in Sep 2025.

The sanction of Rs 1,060.2 crore for four-laning of the 7-km stretch from Bhoma to Old Goa on NH-748 was announced last month by Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari. This project is expected to alleviate severe congestion and limited right of way at Bhoma, Corlim, and Ella.

This highway is part of the Hyderabad-Panaji corridor connecting Telangana, Karnataka, and Goa. This particular section from Bhoma to Old Goa connects Panaji to Ponda town and will decongest the stretch from Ponda to Panaji.

The Hyderabad-Panaji corridor serves as a vital link for passenger and freight traffic from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka to Goa. With this upgrade, the entire Panaji-Khandepar corridor will feature a four-lane roadway with paved shoulders.