Protesters stall works on Kalady bridge

September 29, 2014 09:44 am | Updated 09:47 am IST - KOCHI

The restoration works on the Sreesankara Bridge in Kalady came to a halt on Sunday after a group of protesters stalled the works alleging defects in the ongoing repairs.

According to officials, the protests began around 9 a.m. in the morning when local people staged a march after the grout mixture laid on one of the beams oozed down due to a technical flaw. The repair works faced disruptions even as the Public Works Department finished about three quarters of the concreting works on the cross-beam cast at the Perumbavoor side.

With the protesters threatening to block the remaining works, the police intervened and the works resumed by 4.30 in the evening. “There were some faults in the concreting works of the beam at the Perumbavoor side. Hopefully, the fillings will be removed and the relaying of concrete will be completed by tomorrow morning,” said P.P. Benny, executive engineer, PWD.

The Public Works Department has already completed concreting works on the beam at the Kalady-side as well as fixing the gaping hole that surfaced on the bridge’s deck.

Traffic along the bridge, which provides a crucial link across the Periyar on the MC Road, has been banned after it developed a fissure on September 20.

A consensus on opening the bridge for traffic by October 5 was taken during a meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on September 24.

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