The public works department (PWD) has prepared an estimate and is set to call for bids from consultants to carry out an audit of all major and minor bridges in the state. The audit will also cover culverts. Around 2,000 structures will be audited at a cost of Rs 22 crore, as per the preliminary estimates, sources said.
After bridge collapse incidents in some parts of the country last year, the Union ministry for road transport and highways (MoRTH) had recommended that states carry out an audit.
“The PWD carries out tests of some major bridges internally every year pre and post-monsoon. The results are regularly sent to the ministry as updates. But there was never a complete audit of all the state’s bridges and culverts. Goa’s bridges itself number 57. Earlier, consultants had been appointed to audit bridges, including Borim, but these were isolated efforts, taken up as and when required,” said an official. The audit will also involve underwater tests, besides tests to check the strength of the superstructure and foundation.
“While PWD carries out such audits, a consultant is being appointed because they are well-versed in the latest software and have the latest equipment. Non-destructive testing will be carried out as part of the audit and core concrete samples will also be taken for testing,” said the official.
Goa has had its own share of bridge tragedies. In May 2017, a footbridge lying in disuse in Sanvordem collapsed, when around 40 persons gathered on it to witness the operations to fish out the body of a person who died by suicide. Three persons lost their lives in the accident.
In August, a four-wheeler with a couple and toddler plunged from a bridge in Sanguem, leading to the loss of all three lives. The incident brought into focus the need for safety measures on minor bridges.
Earlier this year, following several road fatalities, the PWD had also decided to carry out a safety audit of all the roads in the state. At present, the process of finalising the tender note for the project is on and the tenders will be opened soon, officials said.
The audit will cover around 1,134km of major district roads and approximately 4,430km of village roads across the state.
The road audit of the district and village roads will involve carrying out ground surveys to check for signages, visibility of signages, existence and dimensions of speed breakers, road geometrics, overtaking distance, stopping distance and curvature.
The exercise is expected to cost Rs 6 to 7 crore.
