Sreedharan inspects South overbridge

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Principal Advisor E. Sreedharan on Wednesday morning inspected the South overbridge where a fissure was detected during the course of Kochi metro construction works.

He was accompanied by Kochi metro project manager Dani Thomas. They inspected the portion of the bridge where the crack had appeared, beneath the bridge and the area near the pillar from near which earth was removed. The preliminary assessment is that the sinking of soil alongside the road near the bridge in the heavy rain that lashed the city the previous day may have caused the crack. Removal of earth from near the pillar was under way for the past two days.

Following the detection of the crack, DMRC has directed the contractor to suspend removal of earth between the piles erected for the metro pillar beneath the south overbridge.

The crack on the bridge was detected on Tuesday night around 11.30 p.m. Around 5-foot-long crack was detected on the side of the bridge descending towards Panampilly Nagar Junction following which traffic through the bridge was regulated. As soon as the crack was detected, the area between the piles from where the earth was removed was refilled. The contractor was also asked to reinforce that portion by applying concrete.

A team from thePWD also inspected the site. They assessed that there was no longer any danger since the area between with the piles was reinforced using earth.