Pathanamthitta: The construction of Bailey bridge across Enathu River in Adoor is likely to be delayed further with Army engineers recommending an increase in the height of the abutments of the bridge as against the initial proposal. The construction has been halted indefinitely as a consensus on the design is not forthcoming, adding to the woes of the public. An expert team from Indian Army’s Secunderabad regiment 14 had conducted inspections at the bridge before the new changes were proposed.
Now the bridge will be constructed as per the new design. Subsequently, the depth of the basement will be increased in accordance with the increase in the height of the abutment. The construction of abutment at Kulakkada side of the new bridge has started two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the construction work at the Enathu side of the bridge is still pending. The basement of the abutments will be constructed using the Gabion technique - constructing the steel cage using rods and filling it with bolsters because of the loose soil at the base.
Vehicular traffic through Enath bridge along MC road near Adoor was banned indefinitely after an expert team found serious damage in one of the pillars supporting the bridge on January 10. The bridge connects the districts of Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts along MC road. It has been confirmed that the pillar below which cracks were found has been weakened due to abrasion in concrete underwater. The Government then sought the aid of the Indian Army to construct the Bailey bridge across the river for the speedy opening of the bridge.
