The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) has completed all major repair works of the 18-year-old concrete bridge across the Kallada river at Enathu on MC Road.
Public Works Department Minister G. Sudhakaran will open the bridge for the public at an official function to be held at Enathu on August 31.
Mr. Sudhakaran told The Hindu that the KSTP had completed the bridge-strengthening work in a record period of seven-and-a-half months. The 18-year-old concrete bridge has been remaining closed since January 10 following detection of serious damage to its piers.
Video analysis
Experts found that elastomeric rubber bearings padded between its precast beams were damaged and a bridge pier had sunken.
The second pier on the Kottarakara side was found slightly shifted and the well foundation of the third pier eroded at the bottom.
The bridge was closed on the basis of a thorough analysis of a video of the bridge piers taken by diving experts.
The KSTP has constructed two new concrete piers to replace the damaged ones after supporting the concrete slab with iron girders. The damaged piers (P2 and P3) were demolished, after providing support to the concrete slab, prior to casting the new piers.
The bridge-strengthening work, estimated at ₹4.75 crore, is nearing completion and the finishing touches are under way so that it could be reopened for vehicular traffic well before Onam, the Minister said.
Mr. Sudhakaran said the government had also taken the initiative to erect a Bailey bridge by the Army Engineering Group, a few metres downstream of the concrete bridge, to facilitate traffic of light motor vehicles across the river. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had inaugurated the Bailey Bridge on April 10.
Mr. Sudhakaran said the preliminary inquiry report submitted by the PWD Vigilance wing on the Enathu bridge stated that the damage to the concrete structure was owing to certain flaws in its construction.
Indiscriminate river sand extraction from the vicinity of the bridge piers too contributed to the situation, it said.
Mr. Sudhakaran said the government would seriously explore the possibility of constructing overhead highways above the existing National and State Highways.