KOCHI: The first concrete girder of the Kochi Metro Rail was successfully installed on Saturday early morning.
The girder was installed at Pulinchode near Aluva. The ‘U- shaped’ girder was cast at the Metro Casting Yard at Kalamassery. It was transported from the yard around 7 pm on Friday with the help of two huge cranes and special trailers brought from Mumbai.
The girder reached the site at midnight, and was installed with the help of cranes having capacities of 350 tonne and 400 tonne.
The total length of the girder is 25 metres, and its width is 5 metres. The girder, weighing 150 tonne, was installed by 4 am. The authorities concerned said that the installation was successful, and that the second girder would be installed on Sunday night. Traffic towards Aluva was blocked at night while the girder was being installed.
Meanwhile, the diversion of traffic through the narrow pocket roads in the city as part of the ongoing work on the Metro Rail is causing difficulties to heavy vehicles.
The traffic diversion for the vehicles going towards Aluva on the national highway came into effect on Friday night.
As per the regulation, movement of heavy vehicles through the national highway is banned between 10 pm and 6 am, from Kalamassery. The double-decker carriers that transport cars are not allowed on this stretch during night. The authorities concerned have said that the diversion would be in effect until further notice.
According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the diversion has been put in place in order to facilitate the smooth movement of huge cranes and trailers.
Meanwhile, the commuters, especially drivers of Volvo buses, and sleeper and semi-sleeper buses that conduct inter-state service, said they were finding it difficult to take sharp turn at corners at the narrow Pathalam and Muppathadam junctions.
However, the authorities concerned said that it was the best available option to divert traffic in the traffic diversion plan prepared by the L&T, the contractors of the Metro Rail work on the stretch.
The plan was submitted to the DMRC and the traffic police.
The authorities said that the L&T would display sign boards and deploy wardens at every junction to make sure that the plan is executed properly.
All the vehicles bound for Thrissur and Aluva bound for Kalamassery will have to turn left via the Apollo Junction.
They will have to turn left on Container Terminal road through the under pass; turn right to Edayar road at the Container Freight junction; go straight through the Pathalam junction; turn right at the Muppathadam junction and turn right at Kadangalloor West to reach the Valanjambalam junction.