Kolkata Firm to Repair Joints on Rail-Road Bridge.

After spending nearly Rs. 6 cr since 1995 in a vain bid to repair the 400 worn-out secondary joints on the 4.5-km-long road-cum-rail-bridge over Godavari , the government has now entrusted the job to the Kolkata-based Metal Engineering and Treatment Company Private Limited (METCPL). This decision was taken by the top brass of the South Central Railway (SCR) and the other departments concerned at a recent meeting in Hyderabad, on the initiative of Rajahmundry MP Maganti Murali Mohan.

A two-member team of the METCPL - Ranjit Roy and Neel Kamal Circar - inspected the joints on the bridge recently along with Roads and Buildings Department (R&B) superintending engineer SR Murthi, executive engineer Satyanarayana and deputy executive engineer Naidu.

According to sources, the joints have become weak over the years due to various reasons such as the passage of vehicles above 10-metric tonne capacity over the bridge - it has been designed for vehicles with a capacity of 10 metric tonnes only - vastly increased vehicular traffic, lack of periodic maintenance and lack of co-ordination between the Railways and the R&B departments.

Speaking to newsmen recently, METCO manager Ranjit Rao said that the study team would submit a report to the government within two days.


TH NEW INDIAN EXPRESS