Bridge’s concrete surface comes off after ‘negligent’ use of crane

Kochi: Infrastructure projects are often hailed as symbols of progress, but for locals and thousands of motorists, Thadikkakadavu-Aduvassery bridge, connecting western areas like Alangad and Varapuzha to airport, and NH 544, serves as haunting reminder of "engineering negligence".Concrete surface at the middle of the bridge, linking Karumalloor and Kunnukara panchayats, has come off, and a crater-like depression, exposing steel reinforcement bars, has been formed. According to locals, the "structural failure" occurred due to "negligence" of contractor."Concrete at the middle portion of the bridge has come off and a crater, having a depth of nearly 30cm, has formed. The bridge's structural strength is deteriorating with each passing day," said M A Sudheer, a local and Congress block vice-president.During construction of the bridge a decade ago, two concrete slabs gave away and fell into Periyar waters. A heavy-duty crane was brought in to retrieve the sunken segments. In a move that local observers and engineering experts later decried as sheer negligence, the crane was positioned directly on the bridge structure without any precautionary load-distribution measures."The crane was deployed four times, the latest being last year. It was positioned at the central portion, without taking precautionary measures like placing of wooden pieces below. Now crater has formed at the exact location. Structural damage is becoming worse each passing day. We demand authorities fix the issue on a war footing," Sudheer pointed out.