TIRUCHY: A part of the retaining wall on the Tiruchy-Karur Highway in Allur village collapsed and led to the supporting ground caving in for up to 1 feet, on Saturday night. On the next day, about 10 workers of the State highway department reached the spot and filled the gap with concrete.
The caving-in of the ground within just few months of the road expansion works undertaken at the 11-km stretch to the tune of Rs 55 crore has raised concern and question about the quality of the construction work. P Ayyarappan, road safety activist from Tiruchy, said, “The ground caving in near the retaining wall raises concern over the quality of the workmanship of the contractor.
Due to poor foundation and no proper drainage channels, the ground below the wall started hollowing out and eventually resulted in cave-in. The officials need to check if there are any other damages in the entire stretch as it could lead to life loss, if unattended.” Sources said that the contractor was recently blacklisted from taking up any road projects in the State, following several complaints. But the contractor had managed to get a stay from the court.
When contacted, a senior official from the State Highway Department said, “We have taken note of the incident and are checking for damages in other places on the stretch. The maintenance contract is for five years. We will also take up maintenance works in vulnerable locations shortly.”