Collector Flags Safety Lapses After Girder Collapse at Arur–Thuravoor Flyover Site

Alappuzha: In the incident where a driver died after a girder collapsed during the construction of the Arur–Thuravoor flyover, a meeting held in the Collector’s chamber assessed that there were lapses on the part of the construction company. District Collector Alex Varghese directed the National Highways Authority and the construction company to ensure strict safety measures in connection with the national highway construction.

The meeting was convened to review issues related to the national highway works. The Collector stated that construction activities will be allowed only with strict safety protocols and proper supervision. During the lifting and installation of girders on the elevated highway, traffic arrangements and diversions must be carried out with police assistance. Barricades must be placed to restrict vehicle movement. The construction company must prepare the work schedule one week in advance and hand it over to the police.

The police will arrange traffic management based on this.

For traffic regulation, 25 police personnel and 86 marshals appointed by the construction company have been deployed. A night traffic audit will be conducted in the area under the leadership of the Motor Vehicles Department. The Collector instructed PWD officials to complete repairs of diversion routes by early December.

Road tarring in completed sections must be finished at the earliest. A survey team will be appointed to identify and resolve 19 encroachment points along the national highway. The Collector also directed the construction company to remove debris from completed areas of the highway as soon as possible. A traffic audit will be conducted in accident-prone areas of the national highway by the 25th.

RITES team to conduct inspection today

The RITES team responsible for safety auditing will visit the construction sites on Tuesday for inspection. Necessary actions will be taken based on their recommendations. Additionally, National Highways Authority officials informed the meeting that a safety inspection has already begun under the leadership of experts A. K. Srivastava and Ashok Kumar Mathur. Out of the total 379 bays of the elevated highway, work on 313 bays has been completed, and the remaining 66 bays and 168 girders will be completed by December, officials said.