Old Zuari bridge footpath to be used for laying new 15MLD water pipeline

PANAJI: As work on the new Zuari bridge has picked up pace, minister for public works department (PWD) Ramkrishna Dhavalikar said that the government is already planning to use the footpath of the existing Zuari bridge to lay a water supply pipeline over it for the benefit of the village of St Andre.
“The process on the proposal to use the footpath of the existing Zuari bridge to run a 5MLD water pipeline over it has already begun.” Dhavalikar said. “This will carry water to St Andre constituency. This will also help solve the water shortage faced by residents of Bambolim.” Dhavalikar was inspecting the progress of the new Zuari bridge.

Dhavalikar said that an existing bridge offers an ideal opportunity for a water pipeline. The old bridge, constructed in the 1980s, is set to lose its significance once the new bridge opens for use by the end of 2019, as per current estimates.

The PWD’s principal chief engineer, Uttam Parsekar, said that once the new eight-lane bridge opens for use, other possibilities for use of the old bridge will also be considered, including possibly ‘renewing’ the structure of the old bridge.

“An old bridge in Bihar has already been restrenghtened by improving the structure of the pillars of the bridge and by slicing off a layer of top of the bridge, replacing it with new precast segments,” Parsekar said. “We can also look into this possibility.”

Dhavalikar said that the existing Zuari bridge is in a stable condition and safe for use. He said that inspection and maintenance work was carried out recently.