Staff Reporter
Guwahati: From the end of 2024, a question has been eating at the minds of the people. Is the Six-Mile flyover in Guwahati really safe? People were worried whether the structure would fall even as vehicles were passing over it or if the government would dismantle the 1.65 km flyover.
Everything now hinges on the report and recommendations of Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), the Indian engineering consultancy and public sector undertaking that specializes in transport infrastructure.
The questions started arising after, at the end of last year, cracks developed in pillar no. 4 (P4) of the Six-Mile flyover, as one gets on the flyover from the Ganeshguri side. Doubts surfaced in the minds of the people after repair work on the flyover was started at the end of last year. There were reports that several cracks had developed on pillar no. 4. In 2023 also, there were problems with the expansion joint of pillar no. 2.
According to sources at the Assam PWD, when proper examination of the pillar in question was done, it was concluded that the pillar had failed. At that time, the state PWD took a suggestion from IIT-Guwahati regarding the flyover. According to the suggestion of IIT-Guwahati, the PWD then provided supports in such a way that the weight of vehicles did not fall on the pillar directly, and the load is distributed. During the time of repairs, heavy vehicles were barred from crossing over the flyover. The flyover was opened for all kinds of vehicles just before the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit.
When contacted, PWD sources told The Sentinel that the recent repair work was temporary in nature.
A senior engineer of the Dispur Dimoria PWD division said that RITES has been entrusted with post-construction testing of the flyover. During the testing, RITES will examine the design, construction, and composition of the concrete used in the bridge. In addition to this, they will also conduct land testing at the site.
Meanwhile, experts from RITES have already gathered samples of the concrete and the land over which the flyover was constructed. The report from RITES is expected to be submitted to the state government by the end of April, 2025. The consultancy firm will also forward their observations and recommendations to the government. Only after this will the fate of the Six-Mile flyover be decided.
The PWD further pointed out that the fault is now localized on a single pillar—No. 4; if the cracks extend to other pillars, it will become a cause of real concern.
It should be mentioned here that work on the Six-Mile flyover was awarded to Kolkata-based construction firm Simplex in 2006 by the then government. The bridge was opened in 2009. The original cost was Rs 47 crore but was later revised to Rs 78 crore.
When a major construction work is completed, there is usually a defect-liability period. During this period, if there is any problem regarding the construction, it is the duty of the construction firm to repair the defect. In the case of the Six-Mile flyover, the defect liability period is one year. This period ended a long time back, as it is now over 14 years since the flyover was opened for traffic. The design of the flyover was prepared by a Delhi-based private firm. It is worth mentioning that the state government spent around Rs 2 crore to repair the expansion joint of the flyover’s pillar 2 in 2023.
Also read: Letters to the Editor: Six Mile Flyover
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