Work on the new flyover in Padi Kuppam near Mogappair is likely to be delayed further as the Ambattur zonal officials of the Chennai Corporation have directed the private contractor to redo the entire floor work of the bridge which is under construction.
This is after the civic agency discovered a mismatch between the original design given by the Corporation and the actual work carried out by the private contractor.
As per the civic body’s design, the base of the bridge, which is being built across the Buckingham canal, should be levelled with blue metal before concrete pillars are built on it. Further, the floor level of the bridge should be a few feet below the existing water level in the canal.
Instead, the private contractor went on with his own design and levelled the base with construction debris, which is unlikely to withstand the pressure from continuous movement of vehicles on the bridge and is likely to get washed away by the water on the canal over a period of time. The contractor has built the floor of the bridge much above the existing water level in the canal. Having the floor at such a high level, according to Corporation officials, would prevent free flow of water in the canal, especially during monsoon when excess rain water is drained into the canal from the channels provided along its route.
Such an artificial blockade would divert the excess rainwater to the neighbourhood resulting in flooding. “The faulty construction by the contractor was detected during a surprise inspection by senior officials of the civic body recently,” said a Corporation official.
Corporation officials said that levelling of the floor with blue metal would strengthen the base against the slushy canal bed. Also, the concrete pillars that would be built on it would withstand the pressure of continuous traffic movement once the bridge is open for use. For residents, the bridge is a short route to reach the city through Poonamallee High (PH) Road via Vannagaram. The bridge is less congested and least polluted too.
During weekdays, motorists from adjoining areas including Ambattur, Nolambur, Mogappair, Padi, Mannurpet, Aannoor and Kolathur travel on the bridge to reach their workplace in the city. During the weekends, the bridge would help the locals especially those from Padi Kuppam reach the Koyembedu wholesale market quickly buy fresh vegetables and fruits for the week ahead.
