Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 23: The flyover work at Pumpwell Circle in the city where national highway 66 and 75 meet, has been progressing at a snail's pace, and this delay had attracted public wrath many a time. Now, because of defect in workmanship, one of the girders has developed cracks. As such, machines have been deployed to break this girder. The indications about the flyover work getting further delayed as against the current deadline of March end next year, are clear and loud on account of this development.

The girders are manufactured by contractors which are then carefully fitted to the slots where flyover is being built. As some cracks were observed in one of the girders fitted here, this girder is being replaced now. Currently, this girder is being removed.

It is learnt that officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) found out the crack during their inspection. It is said that a small crack appeared in the girder because of the mistake in fixing the girder. The girder is now being vacated as per the instructions of the officials and the contracting company has to fix new girder now.

After the delay of Pumpwell flyover work became laughing stock in social websites, MP, Nalin Kuma Kateel, at a meeting he convened in the company of NHAI authorities, had instructed the officials to speed up work and finish it soon. The officials had said that the flyover would be opened for public by the end of March. Considering that only a little more than 25 percent of the work has been completed till now on this flyover, there are doubts about the concerned meeting this deadline.

As this 600-metre 20-metre-wide flyover is being constructed, traffic at Pumpwell circle has been affected.Many people, who observe that only two or three persons are seen working on the flyover, have expressed suspicion that the work will take too long to complete. The flyover at Thokkottu across national 66 is also going on very slowly since several years.