Dwarka Expressway: Contractor pulled up over concrete span collapses in March 2021

The notice, a copy of which is with HT, stated that the contractor for the third and fourth phases of the Dwarka Expressway had made haphazard use of precast segments already used for three spans for the affected two spans, which was “tantamount to non-adherence/non-compliance of standard procedure.”

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issued a show-cause notice to the contractor of phases three and four of Dwarka Expressway in connection with the collapse of two concrete spans on March 28 this year.

Two concrete spans among pillars 107-109 in the third phase of the under-construction Dwarka Expressway collapsed in March, following which two committees deliberated on the causes and recently submitted their reports. (HT Archive)

The notice, issued on the basis of two committees’ findings, cited lack of coordination, lack of workmanship and substandard quality concrete in some segments of both the spans for the incident.

“Accordingly without prejudice to rights and remedies as are available to authority under the said contract agreement dated 23/10/2018, this notice is served to Larsen and Toubro Limited to show cause as to why you should not be debarred for an appropriate period to be decided by NHAI from further participation in future projects apart from levying penalty, owing to omissions and commissions on the part of the contractor,” the notice, issued on September 16, stated.

On March 28, two spans between pillars 107, 108 and 109 under the third phase of the under-construction project collapsed. Following the incident, both the NHAI and the ministry of road transport and highways formed individual committees that submitted their reports recently.

The notice (a copy of which is with HT) stated that the contractor had made haphazard use of precast segments already used for three spans for the affected two spans, which was “tantamount to non-adherence/non-compliance of standard procedure.”

“It also appears that destressing of cables and lowering of segments were done in a ‘hush hush’ manner without analysing the root cause of the failure,” the notice stated.

RK Mishra, project director, L&T, Dwarka Expressway, did not respond for comment despite repeated calls and messages.

A senior NHAI official, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said, “The notice was issued on the basis of findings of the committees, and the contractor will now have to submit a detailed reply after which necessary action would be taken.”

NHAI officials, however, said that it was the first time that an eight-lane elevated road on a single pillar was being erected in this project, and such incidents can happen as construction is a dynamic process. The 29-kilometre Dwarka Expressway is being constructed in four phases, of which the first two phases are in Delhi.

The ₹10,000-crore project will connect Kherki Daula and Mahipalpur in New Delhi on NH-48 and also provide access to the IGI Airport. This road is among the first ones in the country to have eight lanes on a single-pier flyover.

The notice also stated faults in compressive strength value, as core tests were found unsatisfactory. “There have been some important issues concerning lack of workmanship, which has been admitted by contractor during casting, compaction of concrete mix, shuttering reinforcement congestion leading to failure,” the notice stated.