Experts examine damage to flyover in Gurugram

The committee was constituted on May 10 to probe two incidents of damage to the road surface, which has taken place in a one-year span.

A three-member technical team constituted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) inspected the Hero Honda Chowk flyover on Tuesday, following the collapse of a part of the road surface on May 8.

The team was accompanied by senior NHAI officials, who briefed the experts on the status of the damaged surface and what measures had been taken after a similar incident was reported last year on April 23. (Ht Photo)

The committee was constituted on May 10 to probe two incidents of damage to the road surface, which has taken place in a one-year span. The committee first visited the campsite of the contractor at Hero Honda Chowk, where a meeting was held for half an hour, and later visited the damaged spot at the flyover and examined it around 11.40am.

Experts said that they would require time to assess the issue and reach a conclusion, with regard to the exact cause of damage. “It is a serious matter and we will examine it in detail,” said bridge expert Mahesh Tandon, who asked questioned the officials concerned and also clicked pictures of the site.

The team was accompanied by senior NHAI officials, who briefed the experts on the status of the damaged surface and what measures had been taken after a similar incident was reported last year on April 23.

AK Srivastav, advisor, NHAI, and member of the technical team, said that this was their first visit to the damaged site and they had inspected the flyover from underneath as well as the surface of the deck slab where the damage has taken place.

“This is our first visit to the site and we have conducted a preliminary inspection but this exercise would require a detailed evaluation, after which we would decide on the tests required to be conducted,” he said.

VL Patankar, former director general (RD), ministry of road, who is the third member of the expert committee, also discussed the matter with NHAI officials.

Following the inspection, two meetings were held at the NHAI office at Sirhaul toll plaza and at the NHAI’s headquarters at Dwarka in Delhi to discuss the issue, said officials.

Prior to visiting the flyover, the expert team spent some time at the campsite of Valecha Engineering Limited, the project contractor, whose officials shared details of the entire project and gave information related to the matter, said NHAI officials.

Manoj Kumar, chief general manager and regional officer, Delhi, NHAI, who accompanied the committee members, said that the examination had started on Wednesday and the authority will ensure that each and every aspect is evaluated in detail so that there is no repeat of the incident. “The committee has started the work and we will implement the remedial measures it recommends,” he said.