Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Oct 14: A two-hour trial run to test road closures on National Highway 66 for the Porvorim–Guirim elevated corridor project turned into a traffic nightmare Monday morning, leaving commuters stuck in long, unmoving queues for nearly three hours.

The trial, aimed at studying traffic flow in case of a full shutdown in the future, backfired as vehicles piled up at key junctions including Arradi–Socorro, Chogm Road, and O’Coqueiro Circle, causing chaos for office-goers, students, and daily commuters.

“It took me over 40 minutes to move just a kilometre,” said one exasperated motorist. A senior Traffic Department officer described the exercise as a “learning curve” and confirmed normal traffic was restored after the experiment.

Officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) noted that full closures are essential for erecting the corridor’s superstructure. Contractors had sought 25 days of closure from Aradi Junction to Holy Family Church Junction and nearly 60 days from O’Coqueiro Junction to Shivaji Chowk.

“Today’s trial clearly showed the current plan is unworkable,” said a PWD official. Authorities now plan to explore phased or partial closures and alternative methods to minimise disruption while ensuring progress on North Goa’s critical infrastructure project.