A team of structural experts will inspect the Parama flyover for a fortnight from Sunday to assess its load-bearing capacity, officials in the state’s urban development department said.
The flyover will not be closed to traffic during the period.
This is the first time since the flyover was inaugurated in 2015 that a team of engineers will scan the structure to check its condition.
Senior engineers from the KMDA, which is responsible for the flyover’s maintenance, and their colleagues from a private firm will together conduct the study.
Machines have already been moved to the site for the inspection.
Police have provided the necessary clearances for the work to begin.
The 7.5-km flyover connecting EM Bypass in the east and the AJC Bose Road flyover in the west has undergone several structural changes since its inauguration.
The number of vehicles travelling through the Parama flyover has increased manifold since it was connected with the AJC Bose Road flyover in 2019.
Currently, 40,000 vehicles ply through the flyover every day, traffic and transportation engineers said.
“The inspection is likely to continue for a fortnight. The team will check all the aspects of the flyover — the condition of the expansion joints, the bearings and the condition of the concrete and the steel,” said a senior KMDA official.
“At the end of the exercise, the experts from the private company will draw up a detailed report on measures that need to be taken for better upkeep of the Parama flyover.”
The team will look into
- The condition of the flyover’s underbelly
- Possible cracks in the concrete and corrosion of the steel structure
- How much load is being transferred from the deck slabs to the piers and the scope of tolerance in future
- How the flyover responds to additional load from the structure set up to prevent kite strings from landing on motorists
- Wear and tear of the expansion joints
“Pictures of each of the spans under examination will be collected to understand how they stand and what are the immediate challenges,” the official said.
“An assessment of the traffic load during various periods of the day will be calculated to understand how the pillars are functioning.”
Engineers said there had been no thorough repair of the Parama flyover except once in 2019, when six bearings of the Ruby-bound ramp were replaced.
Several engineers The Telegraph spoke to said that apart from increased traffic load, the flyover’s other challenge was water accumulation because of clogged pits.
The examination will reveal whether there has been any seepage of water resulting in corrosion of the steel in the concrete.
“That is why we have sought police permission to work during the day so there is clear visibility,” the official said.