Kochi's 2-yr-old flyover needs repair worth Rs 18.5 cr

A flyover in Kochi city, constructed by spending Rs 42 crore and commissioned in October 2016, now requires restoration work worth Rs 18.5 crores.

The Palarivattom flyover on the NH by-pass in Kochi, which was designed by a Bengaluru-based firm, was constructed with an estimated life of about 100 years.

But it developed cracks within two months and was closed for traffic this May. It would require at least ten more months for the restoration work, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday.

‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan and experts from IIT Madras inspected the flyover and suggested that massive restoration works were required.

While the present estimated cost is Rs 18.5 crore, it may escalate further, the chief minister said, adding that at present, the Kerala government would bear the cost and would look into legal options of recovering it from those responsible for the lapses.

The inspection from experts found cracks in 97 out of the 102 girders of the flyover. Cracks were also found in 16 of the 18 pier caps. It was also found that low-quality concrete was used, the chief minister said.

A vigilance probe is already on to look into the irregularities in the construction of the flyover, which took place during the term of the previous Congress-led UDF government.