Crack on flyover retention wall no cause for concern

A crack that developed between the girders and retention wall of the Kundannoor flyover, which was commissioned in January, is natural in Kochi’s clayey soil, and hence it is not a cause for concern. It will not affect the structural integrity of the flyover in any way, official sources said.

The phenomenon occurs due to settlement of loose soil. The earthen filling within the retention walls on either end of the flyover has already sunk by 4 cm. It could sink up to 30 cm due to the load of vehicles over a span of two to three years. This is within the norms prescribed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The sunk portion must be frequently topped using bituminous concrete (BC), they added.

On why it did not happen on the Vyttila flyover, which too was commissioned on the same date, they said much of the area between the retention walls there was filled with aggregate and not with mud. “The aggregate topping at Kundannoor was only 60 cm in comparison. Measurements are frequently taken to assess the quantum of sinkage.”

On the shoddy condition of service roads on the eastern side (Maradu side) of the Kundannoor flyover, the sources said, it was due to reasons including fragile water pipelines that lay beneath the road that was paved using concrete blocks. The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) now wants to cut across the junction to lay fresh pipelines. Utility lines of other agencies too pose a problem, including on the free-left turn towards Maradu, they said.