NHAI accelerates repairs on damaged Trichy-Chennai Highway Bridge

16 Feb 2024 CW Team

Three teams of workers are currently engaged in the repair efforts. The stones in the bulged section of the bridge, adjacent to the railway tracks, have been removed, and efforts are underway to strengthen the abutment. NHAI is utilising soil nailing and grouting techniques to fortify the overbridge. For soil nailing, officials have outlined grids for installing reinforcements to stabilise the bridge slopes, while grouting is being employed to rectify gaps and cracks in the concrete structure. Both technologies are being utilised to prevent similar damage in the future.

Professor P Alagusundaramoorthy, a structural engineering expert from IIT Madras, is overseeing the weekly progress. The scrutiny extends beyond the affected areas to the unaffected ones, given the highway's critical role in linking central and southern districts to Chennai, according to an official source with NHAI.

Specialised horizontal drilling machines have been deployed to expedite the strengthening work and reopen the bridge within the next two weeks. Traffic movement on the damaged bridge has been restricted for over a month to ensure uninterrupted repair progress. Concerns have been raised about the inconvenience caused by traffic bottlenecks during peak hours and weekends. H Ghouse Baig, a consumer rights activist, urged NHAI to deploy more experts and workers to expedite the remaining work.

After the completion of the repair work, NHAI will conduct quality assessment tests to verify the reliability of the strengthened structure. Officials mentioned that a trial run of vehicles will precede the full reopening of the bridge for vehicular movement.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that repairs on the damaged road overbridge (RoB) near Ponmalai railway station along the Trichy-Chennai national highway (NH) will be finished by the end of the month. In addition to addressing the damaged sections of the bridge, NHAI, with the assistance of technical experts, is reinforcing unaffected portions to prevent future issues, recognising the highway's vital role in connecting various parts of the state. Three teams of workers are currently engaged in the repair efforts. The stones in the bulged section of the bridge, adjacent to the railway tracks, have been removed, and efforts are underway to strengthen the abutment. NHAI is utilising soil nailing and grouting techniques to fortify the overbridge. For soil nailing, officials have outlined grids for installing reinforcements to stabilise the bridge slopes, while grouting is being employed to rectify gaps and cracks in the concrete structure. Both technologies are being utilised to prevent similar damage in the future. Professor P Alagusundaramoorthy, a structural engineering expert from IIT Madras, is overseeing the weekly progress. The scrutiny extends beyond the affected areas to the unaffected ones, given the highway's critical role in linking central and southern districts to Chennai, according to an official source with NHAI. Specialised horizontal drilling machines have been deployed to expedite the strengthening work and reopen the bridge within the next two weeks. Traffic movement on the damaged bridge has been restricted for over a month to ensure uninterrupted repair progress. Concerns have been raised about the inconvenience caused by traffic bottlenecks during peak hours and weekends. H Ghouse Baig, a consumer rights activist, urged NHAI to deploy more experts and workers to expedite the remaining work. After the completion of the repair work, NHAI will conduct quality assessment tests to verify the reliability of the strengthened structure. Officials mentioned that a trial run of vehicles will precede the full reopening of the bridge for vehicular movement.