Longest flyover develops cracks, ‘harmless’ says VMC

Vadodara: Reports of cracks on a ramp sent officials of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) scurrying to check the Atal bridge, touted to be the longest flyover in the state, near the Rockstar Circle on the Old Padra Road. After examination, the officials, however, said that these were not cracks but a ‘harmless’ construction joint that did not pose any danger to the structure.
The 3.5km-long Atal bridge was inaugurated by chief minister Bhupendra Patel recently. While it was opened for the public, work related to its beautification and finishing are still on.
On Tuesday, the VMC’s top brass including the municipal commissioner Dilip Kumar Rana and in-charge city engineer Alpesh Majmudar rushed to the bridge after a series of reports surfaced that there were cracks on the ramp near the Rockstar Circle.
The cracks were observed along the joint of the wall constructed below the bridge and the girder above it on which the ramp was built.
Majmudar said that the wall was made to close the end of the ramp on the ground. “It is an independent part and not a part of the structure of the bridge. We have obtained a structure stability certificate for the bridge. The ramp is suitable to bear 20 metric tonnes of weight,” he said.
The closure of the ramp after the carpet on it was seal coated with bitumen and closed as sand had been sprayed on it led to further speculation. Many believed that it was closed due to the crack. “It is closed only for the safety of commuters so that they do not skid on the ramp due to the sand,” said Majmudar.
Opposition Congress party, however, demanded an investigation into the cracks. State Congress spokesperson Nishant Raval said that in wake of the incident, the fitness certificates of all bridges in the city as well as their audit reports should be made available on its website by VMC.