Roopa Lall & Trinath
Port Blair, June 14: The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) today said Vashitha Construction Pvt. Ltd. has been asked to repair the collapsed Thoratang bailey bridge with their own cost and the construction company has assured to complete the bridge repair works within 25 days.
Thoratang Bailey Bridge, one of the most crucial bridges of Andaman Trunk Road, which connects Port Blair city with North Andaman, collapsed last Wednesday, when two fully loaded tippers were crossing the bridge at around 4.00 PM.
According to reports the Thoratang Bailey Bridge, constructed over Thoratang Nallah nearly five years back, caved in from middle and fell inside the Nallah, leaving both the trucks struck in the bridge.
The incident has slowed down the traffic at Andaman Trunk Road as the only alternative route available after the collapse of Thoratang Bailey Bridge, is through TV Kulam Bailey bridge of Middle Andaman area, which is smaller bridge and also an old one.
“There is already a plan to dismantle this Thoratang Bailey Bridge and construct two-lane RCC Bridge, which is a part of ATR up-gradation project but that will take time. For now the contractor will repair the bridge within 25 days and the materials will reach the site by tomorrow,” Mr. Manoj Kumar Verma the Manager, NHIDCL, A & N Islands, told reporters in Andaman.
Regarding accident Mr. Verma said that all the contractors were already informed that on bridges like Thoratang, only one loaded truck should cross at a time but he said as per the statements by the truck drivers, when the accident occurred there was heavy rain and low visibility because of which second truck driver could not make out clearly whether the first truck driver has crossed the bridge, which resulted in this accident.
He said that the alternative TV Kulam bridge has width of only 3.3 mtrs and has a capacity of 24 tones and hence as a precaution only one vehicle, of less than 30 tones, is allowed to cross the bridge, at a time.
For now, on both side of the TV Kulam bridge two people have been posted with red flag to ensure safety of TV Kulam bridge, which is the only option left for ATR Traffic.
Meanwhile the Deputy Commissioner of N & M Andaman, Mr. Awanish Kumar informed Andaman Sheekha over message that the NHIDCL has assured that the repair work will be completed at the earliest and they are mobilizing resources. “We are closely monitoring it. Till then the alternate route via Shantinagar will be operational. Police personnel have been deployed to smoothen out the traffic and avoid any untoward incidents,” Mr. Awanish Kumar added.
