The state government has decided against pulling down the Chingrighata flyover, a recommendation that was made by a committee of bridge engineers and a consultant hired to assess the health of the flyover.
For now, the flyover’s health will be monitored by installing equipment that will read any deterioration in its health, state government officials said. If the readings show any rapid deterioration, emergency measures will be taken.
The decision to not demolish the Chingrighata flyover was taken by another committee, which was set up by the state government last year to examine the recommendation of the first committee to pull down the flyover. The recommendation was made in 2020.
State urban development minister Firhad Hakim told The Telegraph that the government does not want to pull down the flyover immediately. “We have already taken some measures to strengthen the structure. The government does not want to pull down the structure,” Hakim said.
The recommendation to pull down the Chingrighata flyover, gateway to Sector V and New Town from EM Bypass for hundreds of cars every day, was made in 2020.
A health assessment of several bridges and flyovers were conducted following the collapse of the Majerhat bridge in 2018. The Chingrighata flyover was one of the structures whose health was assessed.
The assessment team found that the construction of the flyover, which was opened to the public in the mid-2000s, had flaws. Deflection — sagging of the surface — was noticed in the deck of the flyover.
The health assessment also spotted problems in the piers of the flyover.
“We suggested some remedial measures that would strengthen the bridge. Our recommendation was to strengthen the bridge with some measures so that it stays well for five more years. By then a new flyover should be built and then the Chingrighata flyover can be demolished. The recommendation was made in 2020,” said a member of the first committee of bridge experts.
“When the execution of the remedial measures started three years later in 2023, further deterioration was noticed in the health of the structure. We then recommended more health assessments by stopping traffic on the bridge for a few days,” said the member.
He said the committee of experts has not been consulted since.
The first committee was made of bridge engineers not associated with the government and engineering professors from reputable institutions.
The decision to not pull down the bridge was made by the second committee formed last year. It has engineers from multiple state government organisations. Some officials said the second committee has in a roundabout way suggested what the first committee said.
“They have recommended health monitoring by installing gauges, which will help in detailed assessment,” said a state government official.
Cross-bracings have been installed and the cross-beams expanded as remedial measures. “All these were done according to the advice of the first committee of bridge experts,” said a KMDA official.
Sources in the state government who did not want to be named said a flyover had been planned between the Metropolitan crossing on EM Bypass, close to where the Chingrighata flyover takes off, and New Town. The flyover was supposed to have arms for commuters to access Sector V.
“It was thought that the new flyover would share the bulk of the traffic of the Chingrighata flyover. But there has been little progress in regard to the proposed flyover,” said an official.
If a new flyover is not ready, it is impossible to pull down the Chingrighata flyover as the crossing would then turn into a traffic mess, said the official.