COIMBATORE: Two men who were driving a car had a lucky escape after a concrete block fell on the vehicle from the under construction Avinashi Road flyover near Hope College junction on Monday afternoon. Though no one was injured, motorists wonder if adequate safety measures are being taken in such project sites.
T Hariharan, a motorist said, “Things would have been nasty had the block fallen on a two-wheeler rider. The rider could have been seriously injured or worse died. This incident raises safety concerns.”
When inquired about it, a senior state highways department official from the Coimbatore division told TNIE that he had ordered an inquiry into the matter and had instructed the officials to submit a report. V Samuthirakani, Highways Department Special Projects wing divisional engineer told TNIE, “The gap between two expansion joints of the deck slabs is covered with steel plates.
However, one of the gaps near the Hope College junction was missed by the contractor. The concrete debris that was lying near the gap fell after a truck carrying construction materials ran over it. Our officials will be installing a steel plate and covering the gap between the joints. Apart from that, I have instructed the officials to place a net along with the plates for additional safety in all joints. Also, the contractor has assured the car owner that he will compensate for the damage and fix the car.”
A few days ago, videos and photos of cracks on the newly inaugurated Ukkadam Flyover went viral on social media. However, the State Highways department dismissed them as rumours and said the excess plaster applied on the two joints of the decks had fallen.