Kochi: The reconstructed Palarivattom flyover in Kochi would be handed over to the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) on Friday.
"The bridge can be opened for public at any time now," said E Sreedharan, the outgoing principal advisor of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Limited while carrying out the final set of inspections on Thursday. Incidentally, this task marked his last outing as a DMRC consultant as the renowneed engineer is set to contest in the Kerala Assembly Election.
"The government had allotted a time of nine months and the contract was for eight months. But the bridge work was completed in five months and 10 days. If it had been any other agency, it would have taken at least 18 months.
"Uralungal Society and Sreegiri Consultants executed the work well. Uralungal constructed the bridge in excellent quality. I also congratulate Uralungal, chief engineer Keshav Chandran, and design consultants Shine Varghese and Mohammed Sherin," he added.
The flyover had to be closed for traffic and rebuilt as it was found weak owing to poor construction likely resulting from corruption in the award of the building contract.
Last day in DMRC uniform
Sreedharan donned the official uniform of the DMRC for the last time on Thursday. Even after retiring from the DMRC, he continued as its principal advisor. Sreedharan took up the reconstruction of the Palarivattom flyover on the request of the state government.
"This is my last day in this uniform. I wore it for the first time in November 1997 and continued to do so for 24 years," he said.
The DMRC would wind up its operations in Kerala as the flyover work got over.
Sreedharan, who is set to contest as a BJP candidate in the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls, would resign from the DMRC before filing the nomination papers.