Record 118 bridges completed in 11 months

By Govind D.Belgaumkar

BANGALORE, NOV. 2. The Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) is on the threshhold of achieving a major breakthrough when it completes the on-going work on the construction of 153 bridges in the State at a cost of Rs. 100 crores. The bridges are likely to be completed within six months.

The KRDCL has completed the work on 118 bridges in the past 11 months, of which 80 have been opened to traffic.

It is said that for the first time in the country, the construction of bridges has been taken up on such a large scale at one time. The project was taken up after the lack of proper bridges caused traffic hold-ups in several parts of the State. Vehicles queuing up for miles on either end of narrow bridges had become a common sight in several parts of the State.

When all the bridges are completed, there will be a noticeable improvement in the flow of traffic, according to the KRDCL.

Sources say the bridges being constructed include three major ones, two of them being constructed at Gauribidnur and Kushalnagar (all bridges measuring over 60 m. in length are considered major bridges; many heavy bridges (over 20 m. in length), and scores of small bridges.

Interestingly, in one case, the KRDCL completed the construction of a bridge in a matter of 60 days. The 50-m. heavy bridge, located at Kesarolli village near Haliyal was constructed across the Tattihalli stream. The old bridge there had been damaged, and there was an urgent need to construct a new one. Labourers and engineers worked round the clock to complete the construction in a record time, according to Mr. Krishnamurthy, Superintending Engineer, KRDCL.

Probably, for the first time in Karnataka's history, the engineers stayed at the site for the entire period of construction to ensure the bridge's early completion. The construction of this bridge posed several problems as it connected two hillocks with a stream flowing in between. Therefore, some of the piers were as high as 10 m. (between the deck slab and the river-bed).

Sources reveal that the latest pre-stressing technology has been used for constructing 36 bridges, and that pre-cast segmental construction technology has been used to construct 50 others. Most of the bridges, taken up for construction by L&T, were being erected using the pre-cast segmental construction technology from the infrastructure at the pre-casting yards in Bangalore and Holenarsipura, according to sources.

The work on constructing the remaining bridges, which was hampered in the rainy season, is now said to be picking up. The KRDCL hopes that all the bridges will be completed in time. The contractors have been given specific instructions to carry out the work as fast as possible, according the KRDCL sources.

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