Panjim: The expected smooth ride over the Atal Setu has just not materialised for the simple reason that the bridge has been developing potholes ever since it was opened for construction. The stranger part is that, the reason for the potholes is still baffling the government and the contractor that built the bridge. The study by IIT Madras to identify the reason for the development of the craters on the bridge revealed that the top layer is not adhering to the surface. The study mentioned that a permanent solution is yet to be completed
Goa’s IT and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Saturday had urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to consider closing the cable-stayed Atal Setu bridge until potholes are repaired. He said that the condition of Atal Setu is highly accident-prone, “I myself have missed meeting with an accident on the bridge”. The state government has approached IIT-Madras to correct engineering faults in the Atal Setu bridge. Khaunte said that at present, tourist footfall is less, and hence repair work on the bridge can be completed by diverting the traffic to the two other Mandovi bridges. The 5.1 km-long Atal Setu runs between Panjim and Porvorim.
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Last year, one arm of the Atal Setu had been shut for traffic for repair work. As criticism had mounted, the allegations that there are major flaws with the bridge had been rejected by the government, with the explanation that it was maintenance work and the carpet area was being fixed. This had come with the assurance that after the work had been completed the bridge would be perfect.
Almost every Goan feels that the bridge, which opened in January 2019 and built at a cost of over Rs 830 crore cannot develop problems on an almost regular basis. It is just over three years old and there is repairs and maintenance work being undertaken.
Now on Sunday, social activist Sanjay Barde spoke to team Herald and showed the type of material used in construction. He alleged that substandard material is used to construct this bridge. Presently once again part of this 5.1km road was hot mixed and potholes were filled. But with the rain downpour in the last 24 hrs, the work done was washed out
Barde said that a TAC coat was issued on this bridge and little tar was used to repair the road. Later, he also questioned the need for a study commissioned to IIT Madras to study the reason for the development of the craters on the bridge, mainly because the top layer is not adhering to the surface, and suggest a permanent solution is yet to be completed.
Barde underlined the off-the-cuff excuses given for this phenomenon which were the weather conditions and the nearness to the coast. “Both are highly questionable. If it’s the weather, then another monsoon is almost upon the State and the pounding rains could well lead to further potholes on the bridge” he signed off
