The State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to rebuild the Palarivattom flyover by handing over the work to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The decision is in keeping with the opinion of a committee of experts appointed by the government, which accepted a recommendation from E. Sreedharan, principal advisor, DMRC, that the flyover be rebuilt.
A communication from the State government said here that Mr. Sreedharan, in his report, had recommended rebuilding of the flyover, which would then have a life of hundred years. The DMRC had promised to take over the works and the government decided to accept the offer, the communication said.
The Cabinet decided to instruct the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK), which had built the faulty flyover, to recover the cost of rebuilding the flyover from the original contractor. The decisions would be conveyed to the High Court of Kerala.
Considering a petition filed by an association of structural engineers, the High Court had asked the government not to demolish the flyover without its assent.
Work in 9 months
Mr. Sreedharan told The Hindu on Wednesday that work on the flyover was delayed by a month after the issue was taken to the court. The works could have begun on October 1, he said.
The 750-metre flyover on National Highway 66 was commissioned about three years ago and had been found to have structural defects. It was closed for traffic in May this year and initial repair works were taken up, when Mr. Sreedharan had recommended rebuilding of the flyover.
Mr. Sreedharan said that 102 girders and slabs would have to be rebuilt along with pier heads. Piers have to be strengthened too, he said. The works are expected to be completed in nine months once they are awarded to a contracting company. Tenders would be invited to award the works as per the procedures followed by the DMRC, he said. The initial estimate was that it would cost about ₹18 crore, he said.
Conspiracy alleged
Meanwhile, Kerala Government Contractors’ Association alleged that the decision to “demolish” the flyover was part of a “conspiracy” to help the district committee of the CPI(M) and to gain mileage in the Ernakulam Assembly byelection. Because of the involvement of the Chief Minister in the process, Mr. Sreedharan too was dragged into it, the contractors said in a statement here.
They claimed that the Chief Minister announced the decision to rebuild the flyover even before the report by the committee of experts was submitted.
