Five-month old flyover in shambles

Five-month old flyover in shambles
It might have taken nine long years for the Seethaphalmandi flyover to be built, but when it comes to its longevity, it seems five months is enough for signs of wear and tear to show. Far from the smooth sailing bridge it had promised to be, the stretch has now become a bumpy ride.

Not only are tiles on the pavements broken and missing, but the road itself is in a bad state. Meenal Tula, a professional who lives in the area says, “The approach way to the flyover is dismal. The roads have been widened, but there are no footpaths for pedestrians. That apart, there are narrow cracks developing at all support points on the flyover. In the middle of the flyover, a huge chunk of the concrete had dislodged last week, exposing the metal girders beneath. This is dangerous for passing vehicles.” The condition is further deteriorated by the heavy vehicles like trucks and buses that ply on it regularly, she adds.

Hanumanth Rao, ACP Traffic, however clarifies that there is no restriction on trucks plying on city flyovers.

“Except on the PVNR expressway, trucks and buses can ply on all other flyovers. However, since there are cracks developing and there are no pavements near the flyover approach way, we will inspect and see whether there are alternate routes that these vehicles can use.”

R.J. Sriman, believes the reason this flyover is in a bad state is because of poor quality of construction. “The bridge was under construction for 11 years. But most of the work was done only in the last five-six months, in a tearing hurry. In a bid to meet deadlines, they probably failed to take into account the possible problems that might occur later.”

The GHMC engineering chief, Pandu Ranga Rao, however, seemed clueless about the issue. However, after he deputed a team to inspect the area, he said, “The concrete came apart due to the expansion joint, which is placed to accommodate temperature variation. Due to heavy traffic on the flyover, the welding pried open. We will take action.”