PANJIM: After the bonding between bitumen and underlying coating failed within two years of Atal Setu’s inauguration, the L&T company, which constructed the flagship cable-stayed bridge across the River Mandovi, is supposedly taking corrective measures by carrying out the repairs of the carpet under the Defect Liability Period clause and as per the suggestions made by the experts from the IIT Madras.
The desperation to complete the repairs is clear. However, as the deadline for completing all the works and the G20 Summit meeting dates are near, the government in order to speed up the work has decided to close the Atal Setu.
GSIDC Managing Director Harish Adconkar said that the L&T company is carrying out the repair of the carpet under the Defect Liability Period clause and as per the suggestions made by the experts from the IIT Madras.
“L&T company is doing the rehabilitation work under Defect Liability Period clause and there is no cost to the State exchequer,” he said.
Loss of man-hours in traffic jams is a loss to the exchequer, and the second closure of the bridge in two years is also a loss to the exchequer. And who paid for the consultancy provided by IIT Madras? It was GSIDC at a cost to the exchequer.
The PWD inspection report of July 20, 2020 (see a copy of report) exposed the defects in the GSIDC contractor’s work
The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) stated that the Atal Setu will be fully opened for vehicular traffic by April 15 evening, while the Porvorim to Margao lane will be opened from Thursday (April 6). The bridge was closed for vehicular traffic for the last two months to undertake repair works even as the Ponda-Panjim lane was opened last week.
Meanwhile, the Traffic Cell has conveyed that to facilitate early completion of the ongoing resurfacing work of the carriageway on Atal Setu, all the lanes of the Atal Setu will be closed with immediate effect for the movement of all categories of vehicles till the completion of work.
The Traffic Cell has advised all motorists, school-goers, students answering exams, etc, to take note of the same and plan their journey accordingly and cooperate with Traffic Police in ensuring the smooth movement of vehicular traffic.
“This is a temporary difficulty and all citizens are requested to follow the lane system to avoid unnecessary blockage,” Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Bossuet Silva stated in a press release.
Huge traffic jams and chaos prevailed on the Panjim, Porvorim and Merces roads when the Atal Setu was closed on March 21. Because of the chaos, the government decided to open one side of the Atal Setu.
