POINGUINIM: As much as 80% of the Canacona NH 66 bypass road has been completed, an official of the public works department ( PWD ) said on Wednesday. Work on the 7.7-km stretch, which runs from Char Rasta to Maxem junction, includes the construction of three bridges that is expected to be ready by May.Once the bypass is completed, travel distance from Char Rasta to Maxem in Galgibaga will be cut short by 10km. Commuters will also be able to avoid the many sharp curves along the present route that goes via Poinguinim to Maxem.Undertaken by M Venkatrao Infra Projects Pvt Ltd, the estimated cost of the project is Rs 189 crore, PWD assistant engineer Laxmikant Naik said. Work began in January 2016. Of the three bridges being constructed along the route, the Galgibaga bridge is 500 metres long, the Talpona bridge 450 metres, and the Maxem bridge, 100 metres. The Galgibaga and Maxem bridges, however, have been merged by an additional pier, converting them into a single corridor.Naik said the Talpona bridge comprises 11 piers while the Galgibaga link has 16. They bypass project also includes 21 culverts, including three box culverts, which have been fully completed, he added.

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