A team of senior officials of the Kozhikode-based Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Ltd, which is expected to be awarded the tender to demolish and rebuild 100 of the 102 girders of the damaged Palarivattom flyover, held discussions with ‘Metroman’ E. Sreedharan here on Thursday for an hour, about the modalities of the reconstruction work and steps to minimise traffic disruption at the busy junction on NH 66 Bypass.
The society’s chairman Rameshan Paleri said that a clear idea of how to go about the work would emerge in a week. “The demolition work can begin in the first week of October, as was scheduled. Care will be taken to ensure least disruption of traffic. The segment where demolition work is under way will be barricaded, to prevent debris, or even water that will be used while cutting the girders in a specific shape, does not fall on motorists. The demolition and rebuilding work will be done on war footing, so that it can be completed well within a year,” he said.
The society already has men and materials engaged in civil works at Infopark and the the special economic zone here. Another round of discussions will be held with Mr. Sreedharan this month, to fine-tune the schedule and other aspects of the work. A master plan will be readied for this. The society has already identified space for a casting yard, to manufacture pre-stressed girders, it is learnt.
Apart from rebuilding the girders, the firm would have to wrap piers and pier caps with reinforced concrete. Earlier this week, Mr. Sreedharan had said that the DMRC has already readied the design to construct an expansion-joint-less flyover at Palarivattom, on the lines of the one at Edappally.
The estimate and tender documents are expected to be readied in two weeks. Mr. Sreedharan is expected to give technical guidance for the reconstruction work, in his personal capacity.
On how the broken debris of the girders and deck slabs will be disposed off, Mr. Sreedharan said that care would be taken to cut them in a definite pattern and transported to coastal areas which face sea erosion. The girders and slabs could be erected like a wall on the waterfront.
