Experts inspect collapsed bridge in Madurai, report in 10 days

A three-member experts team made on a spot assessment of the bridge, of which a portion suffered collapse leaving a worker dead, on Natham Road in Madurai on August 28. 

The failure in the hydraulic jack handled by the ill-fated migrant worker caused an accidental fall of the portion of the bridge, sources said.

The team led by K Baskar, Professor, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchy, inspected the portion of the bridge near Narayanapuram along Natham Road on Saturday and the condition was looked at closely after the collapse. The inspection lasted for nearly an hour.

Apart from the NIT Professor, the team comprised Samson Mathew, Director, National Transportation Planning and Research Centre, (NARTAC), Trivandrum, and Alok Bhowmig, Prof Consultant, New Delhi. 

The team would submit a report in a week or 10 days to the NHAI. Alok Bhowmig told reporters that after conducting a thorough inspection, the team would submit a detailed report to the NHAI. It would examine the cause of the accident and the lack of sufficient safety measures to deal with such an accident.

The project is part of Bharatmala Pariyojana.