India, Sept. 17 -- On September 12, a 5.15-km elevated corridor built in Goa along the Mumbai-Kanyakumari highway to decongest traffic witnessed its first fatal accident, barely 24 hours after it opened to the public.

A speeding car careened into a scooter, sending it crashing into a truck and killing two people. Satish Vengurlekar, the 41-year-old father of two young girls, and car passenger Amita Salgaocar, a resident of Siolim in north Goa, died of their injuries.

Stung by criticism, the Goa government barricaded the motorway's main exit leading to the state capital, Panjim, within the next 24 hours, a move that would have a cascading impact on commuters-residents and tourists alike.

Atal Setu and the Porvorim elevated corridor-both...