KOCHI: Workers, who took a tea break, had a miraculous escape as two girders of under-construction Moolampilly-Pizhala bridge collapsed on Saturday evening, sending shock waves among islanders at Kadamakkudy. The collapsed bridge is part of a cluster of three bridges being built to link Chathanad, part of Ezhikkara in North Parvaur, and Kochi side at container road in Moolampilly.
“The girder of the bridge was constructed by setting the frame on pillars erected in the river. Workers were engaged in removing the frame by fixing the girder on two pillars. They had finished half the work and had gone for tea around 6 pm when the mishap occurred.
“The girder was then in a slanted position and slipped during hydraulic tightening at one end and collapsed on to the girder already fixed close-by. In the impact of the collapse, girders broke apart and plunged into the water,” said a native of Pizhala, quoting workers. The Moolampilly-Pizhala bridge, measuring 180 metres, has 21 pillars. Work was progressing apace and it was due for completion in June. The total estimate of the bridge was Rs 86 crore, raised to Rs 120 crore later. The estimate for the three-bridge cluster is Rs 336 crore.
