The ongoing construction work of the yet-to-be completed Salim Rajan overbridge has been slightly hit owing to the state-wide excavators and tipper lorry strike.
For the past one week, hardly a few machines have been utilised for construction activities.
According to an official spokesperson with the DMRC, the tipper lorry and JCB operators’ strike has taken a toll on the work of the RoB which was first expected to be commissioned by mid-February. However, the officials now feel that the work may stretch till the end of February. But the work of the bridge has not been affected much by the strike.
“Even though the machines are not being utilised much, we have sufficient manpower to overcome the strike,” he said.
According to sources, the JCB and tipper lorry strike, launched first in November against the Traffic Commissioner’s regulation on the number of operation hours of the machines on roads, had then taken its toll on the construction of the North RoB and Salim Rajan Overbridge.
Fearing threats of agitators destroying the JCB excavators as in the past have caused the DMRC to be more cautious this time.
Currently, the three JCBs and two tipper lorries were put on off mode especially during the day hours.
According to DMRC officials, the bridge will be launched by February-end and all vehicles will be allowed to ply through the bridge. By January-end all related civil works including concreting, construction of crash barriers etc will be completed and the girders will be set in February. “We expect to complete the setting up of the girders on February 15, the officials said. The work of the approach road on the Salim Rajan overbridge is nearly over,” they said.
U-girders
The three u-girders which will be set on the bridge weigh a total of 35o metric tonnes. It is the first time that u-girders are being set up at an RoB in Kerala.