The delay in completion of the much-awaited Kanaka Durga flyover is because the project design was put under fresh and a detailed scrutiny in the wake of recent flyover collapse tragedy in Kolkata, that claimed 26 lives and left many injured.
The six-lane flyover, being built at a cost of Rs. 447 crore, starts at Kummaripalem and ends at Rajiv Gandhi Municipal Park. Completion of the flyover by forthcoming Pushkarams in August is crucial since heavy influx of pilgrims from across the country will choke the route.
The works moved at a fast pace till March-end. But the bridge collapse incident in Kolkata prompted the authorities to opt for a fresh scrutiny of the project design involving several consulting companies to study the various safety aspects before finalising it.
“After Kolkata fiasco, the project design went for a detailed scrutiny. It was a long-drawn process involving five different agencies who vetted the plan before its finalisation. Now, the designs are frozen and we’ll go ahead with the works,” Collector Babu A. told The Hindu on Sunday.
The flyover, initially designed by AECOM, an American design consultant, was sent to a proof-reading consultant, which, in turn, sent it to a safety consultant, who studied key aspects like vehicular and structural safety besides making sure that it can resist natural calamities like earthquakes.
The plan was then assessed by engineers of Soma Enterprise Ltd, a company which develops core infrastructure projects, who submitted it to a technical authority consultant working under National Highways.
Finally, it was analysed by Aarvee Associates, a multi-disciplinary engineering consulting company with a pan-India presence before finalising it. “As part of modifications, we had to change a piling concept. The flyover is a complicated ‘S’-shaped structure. Nine of its pillars fall in Krishna River while another three fall in a canal and one of them is a 19-metre-high pillar,” explains Mr. Babu.
He said by Pushkarams around 10 of the 54 segments in the project will be completed. “All the pillars will be in place by then and below the structure will be a four-lane road which will later be made six-lane,” said Mr. Babu.
The project design includes two vehicular underpasses and a pedestrian underpass, besides a subway in front of the Durga Ghat.
“The delay is actually for the good as the project has passed all tests before it is put to use,” said Mr. Babu.
