The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) fined the contractor Strabag Rs 1 crore, two months after cracks were discovered on the approach road of India’s longest sea bridge, Atal Setu. The ambitious bridge was officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2024, linking Ulwe in Navi Mumbai with south Mumbai.
Anil Gangali, a Right to Information (RTI) activist, stated: “The MMRDA revealed that during the inspection carried out in the third week of June 2024, some tiny fractures were observed in the temporary road connecting Ramp 5 of the bridge in the case of potholes on the approach road of the Atal Setu. It wasn’t a component of the main span. The flaws were quickly fixed, though. In this regard, the contractor Strabag has been sent with a show cause notice, the authority said.
Following this, the contractor Strabag received a letter from KR Shivanand, the consultant for Atal Setu, requiring them to address the aforementioned issue within 48 hours or face a fine of Rs 1 crore. The letter further stated, “In addition, submit a thorough action plan detailing the steps you will take to address these defects and raise the pavement quality to the necessary standards.”
Source: The Free Press Journal
