Team Herald
PANJIM: Foxed by the potholes on the Atal Setu that is not even three years old, Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has written to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Chennai to determine the reason for the failure of bonding of bitumen and water proofing layers resulting in the craters on the cable-stayed bridge.
Since the third bridge across River Mandovi was thrown open for vehicular traffic on January 29, 2019, every monsoon potholes have appeared on the bridge making it difficult for motorists to drive.
When contacted, Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) official said that potholes have been occurring during the monsoon and it had nothing to do with the quality of work.
He said that potholes occur due to non-bonding of bitumen and three layers of water proofing laid above the concretised surface. The bitumen gets detached from water proofing layers due to its non-bonding at certain areas especially during the monsoon.
The official further said that these potholes were getting wider and deeper due to water stagnation and due to running of vehicles over it.
GSIDC has now asked IIT Chennai to study the reasons so as to arrive at a permanent solution. “GSIDC has already written to the IIT Chennai asking them to study the MMA raisin base coatings on Atal Setu bridge,” the official
said, adding that after getting the report, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), who built the bridge will be asked to undertake corrective measures as per the five-year defective liability clause.
The official also apprehended that a similar problem could arise on the under-construction eight-lane Zuari bridge as similar coating will also be laid there as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), New Delhi. He said that it could be a problem in the coastal area due to climatic conditions and incessant rains and hoped that the IIT Chennai will find a permanent solution to it.
The official said that construction of the third arm of the bridge linking Panjim will be completed by November this year and the road will also be hot-mixed in the same month.
Currently the Atal Setu bridge has been closed for vehicular traffic for three months to find a permanent solution to the sinking of approach roads.
