In a major infrastructure boost for connectivity between Belagavi and Goa, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has initiated land acquisition for the four-laning of the Bhoma–Old Goa stretch of National Highway 748 (NH-748).
The acquisition covers 8,863 square metres of private land across 42 wetland plots in Bhoma and Kundaim villages of Goa’s Ponda taluka. The 7-km project, sanctioned at ₹1,060.2 crore, will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
The project includes two elevated corridors totalling 4.2 km and 7-metre-wide service roads on both sides, completing another crucial section of the Panaji–Khandepar highway.
For Belagavi, the development is particularly significant as NH-748 originates from NH-48 near Belagavi and serves as the primary highway connecting the city with Goa. The route is widely used by tourists, freight transport, and commercial vehicles travelling between Belagavi, Goa, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
This project follows the earlier ₹557 crore approval for the Ponda–Bhoma four-laning project. Once both stretches are completed, they will bridge the missing links between the existing Khandepar–Ponda four-lane section and the Ribandar Bypass, creating a continuous four-lane corridor from Panaji to Belagavi.
The upgraded highway is expected to reduce travel time, ease congestion, improve freight movement, and further strengthen Belagavi’s road connectivity with Goa, benefiting tourism, trade, and regional economic growth.
