East Delhi flyover develops gaps, PWD not worried

NEW DELHI: After showing much reluctance in admitting that anything was structurally wrong with the sagging Lajpat Nagar flyover, PWD officials are at it again. Some expansion joints on the Karkari Mor flyover near Preet Vihar have developed gaps, with the divergence at its widest being more than four inches apart. The officials, however, dismissed it as regular wear and tear that did not endanger users of the elevated carriageway. Commuters say that the gap existed earlier, but had widened alarmingly in the past week. Mohammad Zahid, who uses the flyover many times every day, said, “The rift was smaller. Now you can push four fingers into the space.” The lower part of the flyover is visible through the rupture on the carriageway close to the portion from where one lane descends to Vikas Marg. Vehicles continue to ply unfettered, and drivers merely report a small bump when crossing the affected part. Commuter Jogender Singh said, “I am not a structural expert, but the crack does look abnormally large. PWD has experts — why doesn’t it inspect the road? Or do lives no longer matter on this side of the city?”PWD officials told TOI that they will get the site inspected, but dismissed it as a case of regular ‘wear and tear’. The gaps are actually left during construction to allow for expansion of the structure in the hotter months. “Laymen sometimes psychologically fear something is wrong. Occasionally, the extensions joints wear down, but that does not mean the overall structure is skewed.”Similar arguments had been made in the case of the Lajpat Nagar flyover, where the steel plates of the extension joints had developed an 8-inch gap through which the traffic below was visible. Despite such assurances, PWD had ultimately been forced to begin repairs.The officials insisted that the situation at Karkari Mor wasn’t like the case in Lajpat Nagar. They said that in winter, the gap increases due to the metal plates contracting, with the rift closing down to less than 3cm in June-July. Another said that the metallic plates only ensured the edges of the tarmac sections didn’t crumble. Strangely the fact that the metallic plates in this case were missing did not dismay the officials. Saying that PWD would get the plates restored, one official explained, “Every part has a life. Regular wear tear will be immediately addressed, but this is a finishing issue not a structural one.”