Joda: Barely seven months after it was dedicated to people, the 2.9km-long Joda flyover caved in for the second time during a drizzle induced by cyclone Dana Saturday, risking the lives of hundreds of commuters. Earlier in August, chunks of concrete had fallen off the flyover, said to be the longest of its kind in Keonjhar district. The repeated sinking of the bridge which was constructed during the tenure of the previous BJD state government has raised serious question marks on its construction quality, stability and durability. The bridge was built using district Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds.
Like on the previous occasion, engineers from the maintenance agency – Chevrox Constructions Private Ltd – repaired the damaged portion of the bridge. However, the barricades put up at the repaired spot is causing serious traffic issues and preventing the smooth plying of vehicles, commuters complained. To resolve the burgeoning traffic problems and the corresponding pollution in the industrial township of Joda, the previous BJD government had decided to construct the flyover. The 2.9km-long flyover was built for Rs 250 crore which was allotted from the DMF funds. Sources said the government had hurriedly unveiled the flyover in March this year and opened it for traffic though the constructions were still to be fully completed.
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As a result, multiple cracks appeared and portions caved in on multiple occasions even before the structure completed one year, leaving commuters apprehensive while using the bridge. Sources said the flyover was constructed under the supervision Narasingh Mohanta, general manager of Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Ltd (OBCC). The information plaque on the bridge mentions that it was constructed using the latest and modern technology. Truck drivers Santanu Giri, Shibaram Majhi, Deepak Kumar and a biker Shibabrata Das alleged that shoddy and sub-standard works were the reasons behind the caving in of the bridge which was hurriedly unveiled before the elections. They also demanded a fair probe into the quality of construction.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Chevrox engineer Anand Kumar said they carried out PQC (Pavement Quality Concrete) on the portion on the flyover which sunk Saturday due to “regular plying of heavy vehicles”. He, however, failed to reply satisfactorily when asked to explain what it meant by ‘PQC’.