The deck-level inspection of both the bridges conducted on May 9 and 10 has revealed that the pillars of the bridges are very strong, have suffered no major damage and hence can sustain vehicular traffic for a few more years.
“The inspection has revealed that the base of the bridge is very strong. There are no major damages to the bridge pillars,” PWD assistant engineer Gourish Nadkarni said.
“The deck level inspections are conducted every two years and the fresh inspections’ findings are equal to those in 2013, when the last inspection was held,” he added. “The findings of the inspection will be submitted to the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways,” Nadkarni said.
As per rough estimates, on an average nearly 1 lakh vehicles run on these two bridges daily.
Since 2011, there have been four incidents of iron ore-loaded barges hitting the bridge pillars. In November 2011, a barge owned by Sesa Goa had hit pillar no 13 of the old Mandovi Bridge. In the same month a cruise boat had hit another pillar. In 2012, another Sesa Goa barge had hit pillar no 9. In none of the above cases was major damage reported. In August 2013, 2200 capacity barge owned by V M Salgaoncar had hit the new Mandovi Bridge pillar.
The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in its assessment had revealed that the pillars have suffered no major damage.
The old Mandovi Bridge was constructed in 1971 and rebuilt in 1994, while the new bridge was constructed in 1993, after old bridge collapsed in 1986.
The government has already begun construction of a third cable-stayed bridge over the Mandovi that will have four lanes, with two flyovers on both sides. The bridge is expected to open for traffic within the next two years.
