PANAJI
The main design attraction of the under-construction second largest cable-stayed bridge in India will begin to take shape before our eyes from the second week of April and with it, the third bridge on River Mandovi will gradually come alive.
The five cables extending from the top of each pylon (tower), on either side, will run parallel to each other and ultimately form a harp-like pattern supporting the 150 mts span over Mandovi waters, of the total 660 mts-long bridge.
Highly placed sources from Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation, the nodal agency for the project, informed that one of the four pylons placed in the river waters has reached a stage where the work of stressing the cables can be initiated.
“Segments numbered 3, 5, 9, 11 and 13 have been marked for stretching and grounding these cables on either side of the four pylons. We will begin work on stretching the first couple of cables from the second week of April,” stated the source.
Explaining the reasons behind opting for cable-stayed technology over the other available designs, the source said, “The pre-stressed cables running stitching spans measuring 50 mts and the cables from the pylons together comprise the extradosed structure of the bridge. The point was to weave in latest, longer-lasting technology with higher aesthetic values in creation of the bridge.”
Meanwhile, it was learnt that with GSIDC engineers and contractor Larsen and Tourbo being kept on their toes at all times by the new Chief Minister Parrikar, the new Mandovi Bridge is likely to be completed between December 2017 and March 2018.
Though the completion date will surpass the provisional extension period stipulated at September 30, 2017, the execution agencies have geared up to toe the time frame declared in this year’s budget document. Previously, the date of completion was set at January 26, 2017 for the contractor and this was extended citing the loss of time owing to the matter concerning the project before the National Green Tribunal. The work of spanning on Porvorim land-side has achieved full pace and it was learnt that the piling i.e. foundation work of the piers (pillars) has progressed to 90% with the piling completed in the river. Of the piers, 70% have been cast and the work of laying the segments has taken off. Of the 1,084 segments across the length of the bridge, 266 were set in place by the first week of April.
The work of spanning on Porvorim side has been sped up after the electricity department cleared 1.5 acres of land near Housing Board in Porvorim to hasten the work of casting individual segments closer to the project site.
