Uncertainty prevails over when the four-lane flyover at Palarivattom will be reopened to vehicles, even as educational institutions are set to reopen in less than a week’s time.
The State government had announced that the flyover, which was closed for repair works in the first week of May, will be reopened to traffic before month-end. The contracting firm, RDS Projects, is engaged in repair works of the surface.
Official sources said that resurfacing of the flyover using bitumen concrete is over. Work to install conventional strip-seal expansion joints is under way. Each joint will then have to be concreted. The minimum curing period for this is seven days. “With works under way, we cannot say when it will get over. Efforts are being made to complete placing of expansion joints and concreting them, in another four days.”
Structural engineering experts of IIT-Chennai are guiding and supervising repair works. Officials of KITCO too are there. The contracting firm which built the flyover would do all surface repairs and later on do structural repairs at its expense to strengthen weak portions where cracks developed.
A preliminary probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, which collected concrete and samples of the bridge and gave them for analysis, had found that adequate quantity of cement and steel was not used, which could have led to the flyover developing cracks and other damage. It further recommended that a case be filed since there was prima facie evidence of malpractices in the construction of the structure.
The bridge’s ‘rehabilitation’ work are slated to be done after the monsoon. The IIT team is engaged in finalising a list of reinforcement works that have to be done to ensure safety and comfort of motorists, sources said.
People’s help sought
The traffic police have, in the meantime, sought cooperation of commuters and pedestrians using Palarivattom Bypass Junction, in case the flyover repair works extend beyond the school reopening date. “We would have a herculean task managing the traffic at the junction, and if need be at two U turns on either side of the flyover. A total of at least 20 personnel would have to be posted in two shifts to manage the traffic here,” said Vinod C S, Assistant Commissioner of Edappally traffic police.
He exhorted commuters to begin their journey early, considering possible worsening of traffic snarls at the junction. They must also desist from parking on service roads on either side, since vehicles may have to be diverted through them, Mr. Vinod added.
