PANAJI: Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation has decided to close down one arm of Atal Setu that used to connect the Old Goa bypass to Porvorim so that defects in the road can be repaired.
Barely two years after the bridge was thrown open for vehicular traffic, large potholes have developed on the cable-stayed bridge. This has promted the authorities to ask L&T to rectify the faults as part of the defect liability clause.
L&T has already dug up vast stretches of the bridge so that the road can be resurfaced and the work is expected to continue for the next few weeks.
“The Ponda-Porvorim arm will be closed for four days. Hotmixing of the road will start tonight,” said a GSIDC official.
This is not the first time that L&T has been asked to rectify faults in the bridge. Early last year, the up ramp from Merces circle was closed after part of the road began to cave in, creating problems for vehicles proceeding towards Porvorim.
Potholes had also developed on the bridge and were patched up by L&T.
“Temporary pothole filling was done but the potholes surfaced again. This time, we have cut the entire stretch and fresh hotmix will be laid to ensure that the hotmix bonds with the membrane,” said the GSIDC official.
Meanwhile, the Panaji arm of the bridge remains incomplete more than two years after the bridge was inaugurated with much fanfare.
The Atal Setu is a 5.1 kilometre-long cable-stayed bridge that was hurriedly inaugurated in January 27, 2019. Over 65,000 vehicles were expected to cross over river Mandovi on a daily basis which necessitated the need for a bridge, said the government as it justified spending close to Rs 860 crore on the bridge, including interest.