Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has informed that some amount of refurbishment work of the crucial Umiam Bridge over the popular Umiam Lake has been done and the bridge is “back to its original position”.
In a series of tweets after a meeting on Wednesday to review the progress made in the refurbishment and retrofitting work of the Brdige, the CM wrote, “Held meeting to discuss the ongoing Umiam dam and bridge repair works. At present 60 percent of the drilling and grouting works have been completed. The bridge bearings have been refurbished. After refurbishment, the bridge has again been brought back to its original position.”
https://x.com/SangmaConrad/status/1785683284468404273
“All measures are being taken to ensure long term safety and structural stability of the bridge. We urge the public to cooperate as the ongoing construction will continue till June,” another tweet on the CM’s X handle read.
https://x.com/SangmaConrad/status/1785683298519269872
The renovation and refurbishment work of the Bridge that connects Shillong with Guwahati and handles heavy traffic including very heavy vehicles round the clock, began on March 31 this year and is scheduled to be completed by June this year.
The Bridge is over the Umiam Lake also known as Bara Pani and is a famous tourist and picnic spot.
Worth mentioning that the retrofitting work of the Bridge began on March 31 this year in view of which the Meghalaya Energy Power Generation Corporation Limited (MePGCL) had announced restrictions on the movement of vehicles.
The Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts had requested the PWD to identify alternate routes to ensure smooth movement of traffic while the repair work in on.
As per information shared by the Government of Meghalaya in it’s official website, the present work is being taken up under Dam Rehabilitation Improvement Project (DRIP). The main objective of DRIP are rehabilitation and improvement of dams and associated appurtenances safety institutional strengthening.
The major works under DRIP includes Drilling and Grouting of Dam, crack repairing and hydro mechanical works. As per preliminary reports, it was observed that seepage through the dam has reduced, the Government of Meghalaya informed. The work is tentatively scheduled to be completed by 30th June 2024, after which the road will be opened fully for traffic.
https://meghalaya.gov.in/press/content/46663
The ongoing rehabilitation work of the Umiam Bridge and the Umiam Dam will increase its lifespan by 35-40 years.
The dam and the bridge were built way back in 1965 and since then there has been a lot of concern over its structural safety forcing the government to go for rehabilitation work which started in December last year.
The review meeting was attended by Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura.
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