Following complaints from motorists, the Highways Department on Wednesday carried out repair work on a portion of an expansion joint that was damaged on the flyover at Thirumangalam, located on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai.
The joint, a length of steel that comes between two spans of the flyover, had been jutting above the bituminous tar layer following damage to the tar.
“This was caused by wear and tear since the number of heavy vehicles using the flyover is quite high. We are planning to replace the joint next week. Till then, temporary repair has been carried out,” said a source.
The department had sought permission from the traffic police to close the flyover for two days and carry out maintenance work. However, since the service lane below, too, had been closed for work relating to a leak in a water main, permission was not granted.
“Only recently, the service lane had been reopened for traffic,” said another source.
Danger zone
Sources in the traffic police said that due to the steel piece jutting above the surface, several motorists had been left with a flat tyre.
“If someone was riding at a high speed, it could have been dangerous,” said a policeman in the area.
One side of the flyover had been cordoned off for traffic due to the repair. It was reopened after the work was completed.
