Following the intervention of Power Minister and Marcaim MLA Ramkrishna 'Sudin' Dhavalikar, the national highway (NH) division of the Public Works Department (PWD) will soon commence the widening of Kundaim bypass road. The expansion of the highway will enable two-way traffic on the stretch, fulfilling the long-standing demand of the residents. Currently, the bypass road only allows one-way traffic from Bhoma to Kundaim industrial estate. In response to several fatal accidents, locals have requested that the road be converted into a two-lane route, while the existing stretch serves as a service road for the village. Villagers have highlighted that the 200m section of the Goa-Karnataka highway has become an accident-prone area, specifically at the sharp turn in Manaswada, Kundaim. Since December 2019, this road has resulted in three fatalities from four accidents. On February 16, villagers initially raised their demand after a tragic accident involving a trailer truck that collided with a roadside kiosk on February 15. However, the government did not address their concerns. Frustrated by the government's reluctance, villagers staged a protest on May 1 and threatened to boycott the parliamentary election unless their demands were met. Dhavalikar intervened in the matter and urged the NH division to investigate. The NH division issued tenders for the project, with an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore. Three bidders - M/s Aguiar Constructions, Baab Constructions India Private Limited, and Baptista Rodrigues - submitted their tenders. Aguiar and Baab agreed to undertake the work for Rs 82.9 lakh. As both bidders quoted the same amount, the NH division selected Aguiar Construction for the project. A PWD official explained that Baab is currently engaged in various projects and may not have the available time to complete this work, hence the decision to choose Aguiar. Also Read Nagpur Municipal Corporation identifies 142 roads for concretisation RajmargYatra, NHAI One apps improves commuting experience on highways