Team Herald
PANJIM: The State government has informed that Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai has opined that the Zuari Bridge can sustain for the duration required for the construction of the new cable-stayed bridge, being built to the west side of the existing one. The government has set a target to complete the new Zuari Bridge by December 2020.
In its reply to the Goa Human Rights Commission that has taken suo motu cognizance of a news report about potential travelling risk on the Zuari Bridge, Chief Secretary Parimal Rai and Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) Uttam Parsekar submitted that they engaged IIT Mumbai to inspect the bridge after it developed some cracks last year.
“Somewhere in May 2018, some transverse cracks in the wearing coat of the bridge, were seen and these were filled with emulsified bitumen to prevent propagation. Also at the finger tip of piers P-3 and P-4, a level difference of 1 inch was noted. This was reported to the MORTH (Ministry Of Road, Transport and Highways) who suggested to engage services of IIT Mumbai for a study of the bridge. IIT professors Alok Goyal and Ravi Sinha visited and undertook the detail inspection of the bridge on September 3, 2018. Based on this inspection, some minor corrective actions were suggested and it was their opinion that the existing bridge can sustain for the duration required for the construction of new cable stayed bridge,” read a joint three-page reply by the two officers.
At present, the reply said, there is no necessity to carry out load test as further remedial measures if any will be decided by the IIT professors. Based on the load testing carried out in the year 2006, the authorities had fixed 12 tonnes load and 30 kmph speed limit which are being enforced till date.
The government reply also stated that since no abnormalities are observed during this period, there is no requirement for another load testing as no further strengthening of the bridge has been carried out.
With regards to the corrosion, the reply stated that necessary repairs like epoxy coatings, grouting for the pre-stressing cables and additional external pre-stressing to compensate for the loss of pre-stress have been carried out. “It is observed that no major cracks are noticed in these years. At localised points wherever required, patch repairs with epoxy grout is done regularly for avoiding exposure to reinforcement to atmosphere,” it said.
