Surat Metro Bridge Span Removal Causes Traffic Jam: Routes Diverted, Dilip Buildcon Asked to Explain

Span Failure in Surat Metro Project Causes Major Traffic Diversion

Yesterday in Surat, a span failure occurred in the bridge under construction for the Metro project, causing the span to split into two parts. This led to traffic being diverted, and the affected road was closed. The traffic diversion was implemented on three routes, resulting in traffic jams stretching four to five kilometers on each of these routes.

Metro Rail General Manager: Work Will Take Two Days to Complete

Yogendra Singh Chauhan, General Manager (Civil) of Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., explained the span lift failure to Divya Bhaskar. He stated that several factors, including excessive stressing and alignment issues, could have caused the additional stress. The damaged part will be removed after experts and designers study the bridge. The work is expected to be completed within two days, alleviating the traffic congestion. Preventive measures are being taken, and the reasons for the failure will be investigated. Appropriate action will be taken against the responsible company thereafter.

Design Experts from Mumbai and Delhi to Arrive

Chauhan further stated that a team of design experts from Mumbai and Delhi has arrived to address the span issue. Currently, six design experts from DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System), a Delhi-based company, are in Surat. The contractor’s team is also engaged in this operation. Each project faces such issues, and a standard protocol is followed. Experts from Mumbai and Surat are monitoring the work.

Traffic Diversion Details

To ease traffic regulation due to the span failure in the Metro bridge, route diversions have been implemented. Traffic heading from Parvat Patiya to Kadodara is diverted via Parvat Patiya to Puna Saroli Canal Road and Outer Ring Road towards Niyol Checkpost. Traffic from Kadodara to Parvat Patiya is diverted towards Saroli Village and Kuberji Market. The operation to lower the tilted span began around 11:30 AM, supported by iron pillars. Prior to this, a meeting was held late at night between Metro officials, police, and fire departments to discuss the span lowering operation.

One-Hour Travel Time from Sahara Darwaja to Kadodara

Vehicles coming from the Sahara Darwaja area in Surat are being stopped at Parvat Patiya, resulting in over an hour’s travel time to Kadodara. Vehicles leaving Sahara Darwaja at 10:30 AM are being halted at Parvat Patiya. Due to the road closure at Parvat Patiya, traffic jams are also seen on the roads from Sahara Darwaja to Parvat Patiya, causing significant delays.

Vehicles Enter BRTS Route on Canal Road

Traffic from Parvat Patiya is being diverted, causing a major traffic jam of over one kilometer near the Aamajiya Water Park on Canal Road. Due to heavy traffic on Canal Road, vehicles have entered the BRTS route, resulting in the obstruction of five to seven BRTS buses on the one-kilometer track.

Two 108 Ambulances Stuck

Due to traffic on the BRTS route, two 108 ambulances were also stuck. They had to be given priority clearance, taking two to three minutes to pass. Vehicles heading from Saroli to Kadodara are taking approximately 25 to 30 minutes due to this diversion.

Three Roads Closed Near Saroli

Three roadblocks have been set up near Saroli, where the span incident occurred, with barricades placed about half a kilometer from the incident site to stop all access. This has caused disputes between the traffic police and workers or individuals trying to reach nearby markets and institutions.

Ongoing Work to Lower the Damaged Span

Work is currently underway to lower the damaged metro span. The operation, which was initially planned for last night, has not yet been completed. The process involves lowering the span using iron pillars for support. Meetings were held late at night between metro officials, police, and fire departments to strategize the lowering process. The span will be lowered using iron launchers.

Steps Taken After the Incident

The Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation has demanded an explanation from Dilip Buildcon Company. The company has been given 7 days to respond with an explanation of how the span collapsed. The entire project is running two weeks behind schedule, which may result in penalties for the company. Inspections are being carried out to check the strength of tunnels wherever there are ongoing metro projects. Orders have been issued to inspect all hydraulic cables at all locations on Line 1 and Line 2. All companies holding tenders for Line 1 and Line 2 have been instructed to submit strength reports.

Span Lifted Due to Increased Hydraulic Pressure

On Tuesday afternoon, a part of the span being constructed under the 8.2 km route of Majura-Saroli CS-6 package on Metro Line-2 near Saroli-Bharat Cancer Hospital lifted and bent, causing immediate action from the authorities. As a precaution, the Saroli-Kadodara road was immediately closed. Metro officials have started an investigation into the incident.

Increased Hydraulic Pressure Caused the Incident

Sources from the metro project stated that the launching of a total of 11 segments to create the span was completed at 1:30 AM on Monday night. Hydraulic pressure was applied to install cables in all segments. However, due to an increase in hydraulic pressure by two inches, one segment cracked, causing the span to lift.

Completion Target for the Bhensaan-Saroli Route by March

Under the CS-6 package of Metro Line-2, the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) has contracted Dilip Buildcon Company for the 8.2 km elevated route between Majura and Saroli. The entire route is targeted for completion by March next year. Seven elevated metro stations, including Udhana Darwaja, Kamela Darwaja, Anjana Farm, Model Town, Magob, Bharat Cancer Hospital, and Saroli stations, are being constructed on this section. This route will connect the Bhensaan area to Saroli via 18 stations. However, metro officials stated that the incident would not significantly impact the project timeline.

Investigation and Future Actions

Metro officials reported that the span work was completed at 1:30 AM on Monday night, after which the span was under observation for the next 24 hours. However, around 2 PM on Tuesday, one segment cracked. Now, all 11 segments will be lowered again, the launcher will be removed, and an investigation will be conducted. It will then be decided whether to replace only the damaged segment or all segments. A special investigation team has been formed for this purpose, and the contractor company will also conduct an investigation to determine whether the installed cables were faulty or if there was excessive hydraulic pressure.