A noticeable gap has developed between the bridge and surface/embankment on the approach portion on the northern side of the Kundannur flyover due to what Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) sources termed as “settlement of slushy soil”.
This has resulted in personnel being deployed to do soil test beside the flyover that was commissioned in 2021 and has a three-year defect liability period (DLP).
K. Babu, MLA, and Maradu municipal chairman Antony Asanparambil and many other people’s representatives who inspected the spot on Saturday said that the widening gap occurred due to negligence during construction. “The situation is such that the bridge, its approach portion, and embankment have ‘sunk’ during the past many months by two feet. The agencies concerned are doing soil tests and other investigations now. These ought to have been done well before the construction began,” Mr. Babu said.
The ‘sinking’ could have been avoided had the agencies opted to do piling beneath the approach portions of the flyover. The officials concerned owe an explanation in this regard. The situation is such that the embankment on the eastern side of the affected portion could give way, posing danger to motorists over the flyover and those using the service road beneath the structure. Unscientific drains at the junction have made matters worse, with paver blocks and the tarred portion of service roads giving way at many places. In this situation, the government must order a thorough probe and ensure safety of road users, Mr. Asanparambil said.
Sources in the RBDCK said it was decided to conduct soil investigation after the ‘settlement’ was detected during an inspection by officials of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board. The settlement on the flyover is ‘natural’ for up to five years, since the soil there is very slushy. Such issues are there in many bridges on the Vyttila-Aroor NH 66 bypass. The sole remedy is to frequently fill the surface of the approach portion so that it is at the level of the rest of the flyover that is supported by pillars. The contracting firm that built the flyover has been directed to take remedial measures, as the structure is within the three-year DLP, the sources said. The settlement would have been relatively less if the height of the flyover had not been increased to improve vertical clearance beneath the structure for smooth flow of container lorries going to the port, it is learnt.
