Union minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate India's first cable-stayed bridge built on a curve on Tuesday, a Goa government official said. Gadkari will also lay the foundation stones of four highway expansion projects costing Rs 2500 crore, the official added."The cable-stayed bridge connects Sada to Varunapuri and Goa International Airport. It is the first such structure in India with a unique curvature radius of 180 degrees," the official informed on Monday.The four projects for which the Union minister of road transport and highways (MORTH) will lay foundation stones are Ponda to Bhoma section (NH-748), Zuari to Margao Bypass (NH-66), Navelim to Cuncolim section (NH-66) and Bendordem to Karnataka border (NH-66) costing Rs 1376.12 crore, the official informed. The Ponda to Bhoma section will provide connectivity between Ponda, Bandora, Priol, Cuncoliem, Cundaim, Bhoma, Corlim, Old Goa and Panaji, while the Zuari to Margao Bypass will pass through industrial estates and connect Dabolim Airport, Mormugao port and Ponda city, he said. The Navelim to Cuncolim section will connect Panaji, Margao, Dabolim Airport, Mormugao port and some others areas from south Goa as well as Karnataka, the official added. A state government spokesperson said these are transformative infrastructure projects being built under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to improve connectivity between the state's two airports and ports."These projects intend to enhance logistical efficiency and serve as catalyst for Goa's economic growth as well as regional development," he said.What is cable-stayed bridge?A cable-stayed bridge is a type of bridge where the deck (the load-bearing portion) is supported by a number of cables running directly to one or more towers. The essential features of this design are towers that act as the main structural elements of the bridge, holding the cables that support the bridge deck.
