Rehabilitation works on the upper portions of the Cauvery bridge in the city is expected to take at least five months to complete, Municipal Administration Minister K.N.Nehru indicated here on Thursday.
The government has sanctioned the major rehabilitation work at an estimated cost of ₹6.87 crore. While works on the foundation has been executed, repairs on the structure above and the road surface are to be taken up soon.
Mr.Nehru, who chaired a consultative meeting with Collector M. Pradeep Kumar, City Police Commissioner G. Karthikeyan and senior officials of Highways and Transport Departments here, said a traffic diversion plan is being worked out and various options were being considered. “Officials say that two-wheelers can be allowed on side of the carriageway on the bridge. The diversion plan for heavy vehicles are being discussed and finalised soon,” he said.
The government has also approved the construction of a new bridge adjacent to the existing one, Mr. Nehru pointed out and added that the Detailed Project Report was under preparation for the same. The construction of the new bridge would require some land acquisition, he added.
The bridge across the Cauvery is situated on an arterial road connecting Tiruchi city with Srirangam. Built in 1976, it caters to a huge volume of traffic. In recent years, the Highways Department had used advanced guniting method to repair damaged edges at expansion joints. Yet gaps keep surfacing on the expansion joints of the bridge, causing severe jolts to motorists.
The existing bridge, after rehabilitation, would cater to traffic on the other direction and the new bridge would accommodate the traffic on the other direction.
Mr. Pradeep Kumar and Mr. Karthikeyan, accompanied by R. Krishnaswamy, Superintending Engineer, Highways, and made a spot inspection to finalise the traffic diversions, which are expected to be announced shortly to facilitate the execution of repairs on the bridge.
