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5,000 new slabs to be laid on old Cauvery bridge footpath

Gali Sreedhar, Regional Officer, National Highways Authority of India, Madurai, inspecting the old Cauvery bridge at Tiruchi on Friday.A. MuralitharanA_MURALITHARAN

More than a month after a middle-aged woman fell down from the old Cauvery bridge here after one of the worn-out footpath slabs broke, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to remove all the old slabs and replace them with new ones.

Around 5,000 new reinforced concrete slabs are proposed to be laid on the footpaths on both sides of the over 50-year-old bridge soon. Ever since the tragedy occurred in the late night hours in mid-April, barricades have been placed on the pavement as a temporary measure to prevent any further occurrence.

Following the tragedy, a few professors from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi inspected the bridge and made certain recommendations. Based on the recommendations, new concrete slabs were being made and the works were expected to commence next week, M. Sankarasubramanian, Deputy General Manager and Project Director, NHAI, Project Implementation Unit, Tiruchi told The Hindu .

The old slabs many of which had got damaged over the years would be removed and new slabs would be laid steadily, said Mr. Sankarasubramanian. The works would be carried out by the concessionaire, he said adding that it was expected to be completed in two months. The cost for laying new slabs was Rs. 50 lakh.

Ahead of commencement of slab laying works, NHAI Regional Officer Madurai Gali Sreedhar accompanied by Sankarasubramanian inspected the old Cauvery brige on Friday.

Mr. Sankarasubramanian said works relating to laying the 1.6 kilometre service road at Samayapuram along the Tiruchi - Perambalur National Highway would start this month.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has sanctioned Rs. 12 crore for the service road project which would be completed in a year, he said.

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