The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Rail overbridge projects hanging fire

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Saturday, Jul 04, 2009
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Rail overbridge projects hanging fire

Staff Reporter

Delay in completing construction of bridges causes cost escalation

— Photo: Vipin Chandran

Bridge to nowhere: The unfinished railway overbridge at Pullepady in the city.

KOCHI: Uncertainty looms large over the fate of many crucial bridge and bridge-modification works in the city, because Government agencies are unable to ensure that the contractors complete the works on time.

Prominent among them are the bridges at the railway level crossings in Edapally and Pullepady, both of which have been hanging fire for many years. Apart from worsening traffic hold ups, the delays have resulted in the project cost escalating steeply, at heavy cost to the public exchequer. It is pertinent to note that the projects were delayed indefinitely, despite land acquisition being over a long time ago.

After much dilly-dallying, the PWD (NH wing) recently terminated the contract awarded to Kayikkara Constructions to build the approach roads/spans of the Edapally overbridge. The department has called for fresh tenders and they would be opened on July 17. The Railways had completed work over the rail portion of the bridge a few years ago. The work on the approach spans lagged on since the contractor demanded more money to complete the work. But he was unable to complete the work although the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways hiked the contract amount from Rs. 15.50 crore to Rs 25 crore. The present delay would further escalate the cost.

The bridge is 600-m long, while the approach road is 1.5-km long. Only work on 15 of the 28 spans is over and overall, hardly 50 per cent of the work is complete. An official in the PWD (NH) said that the extra cost that might be incurred in completing the work (because of possible cost escalation) can be recovered from the contractor. “We have sent a revised estimate to the Union Ministry and are awaiting the nod. If the contract is awarded this month, work can restart in three months time and get over in a year’s time.”

Coming to the Pullepady overbridge, it was undue delay on the part of the Railways that caused the stalemate. This resulted in the cost of building the spans over the 25-metre rail portion escalating from Rs. 40 lakh a few years ago, to the present Rs 1.50 crore. Here too, the contractor who bid for the work initially abandoned it within a few months, following which it was re-tendered.

Highly-placed sources in the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) said that though the work on the rail portion would be over in a month, two more spans would have to be built to link the rail portion of the bridge with the approach spans.

“We would award the work in two weeks time and the project can be completed in three months’ time. On its part, the Corporation of Kochi has to widen the approach roads so that proper road connectivity with Padma Junction and Thammanam can be established,” he said.

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