Reconstructed flyover in Kochi to be opened on Sunday: CM

The work, supposed to be completed in eight months, was completed in five-and-a- half months, the Chief Minister told reporters here on Saturday.Vijayan congratulated the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation DMRC and the construction firm Uralungal Corporate Society for completing the work ahead of the stipulated time.The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 47.70 crore during the previous government, collapsed within a year following which it was reconstructed at a cost of Rs 22.86 crore.

The Palarivattom flyover in Kochi, closed for reconstruction since May 2019 within three years of its commissioning, would be reopened on Sunday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.

''The reconstruction has been completed. Not only has the work been completed but quality and strength have also been ensured by carrying out weight tests. The work, supposed to be completed in eight months, was completed in five-and-a- half months,'' the Chief Minister told reporters here on Saturday.

Vijayan congratulated the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the construction firm Uralungal Corporate Society for completing the work ahead of the stipulated time.

''The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 47.70 crore during the previous government, collapsed within a year following which it was reconstructed at a cost of Rs 22.86 crore. It will be re-opened to traffic from 4 pm tomorrow without any official inaugural ceremony'', the Chief Minister said, citing the enforcement of model code of conduct in the poll-bound state.

''At this stage, the people need to be assured that the developmental work undertaken will be completed efficiently, expeditiously and without corruption in the face of any crisis,'' the Chief Minister said.

The announcement came two days after the Principal Adviser to DMRC ''Metroman'' E Sreedharan visited the site and said the bridge was ready for inauguration.

The technocrat had said he was happy over the DMRC completing the work on the flyover ahead of the scheduled time.

The decision to reconstruct was taken after the Chief Minister held discussions with PWD Minister G Sudhakaran and Sreedharan and evaluated the report prepared by IIT-Madras on the bridge.

Sreedharan had suggested the flyover be rebuilt and the suggestion has been accepted by the government.

The 750-metre-long flyover, construction of which began when the Congress-led UDF was in power, was completed and commissioned in October 2016 when the CPI(M)-LDF was voted to power.

Within three years of its construction, large cracks were noticed in the pier caps of various pillars of the flyover following which it was closed.

Vijayan had ordered the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to probe into the alleged corruption in the construction.

The then PWD Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju, retired Kerala PWD secretary T O Sooraj and three others -- a top official of the company which built the flyover and two officials of a technical consultancy company were arrested by the VACB in connection with the case.

PTI RRT TGB NVG NVG

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)