Four cos bid for demolition of Hatkeshwar bridge

Time of India

2 days ago

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is moving forward with its plan to demolish the controversial Hatkeshwar flyover bridge. Its second attempt to dismantle the structure is gaining traction after a short-term tender for the work, valued at Rs 9.3 crore, was issued last week.
Four companies have expressed interest and submitted their bids and a decision will be taken soon, sources said.
The proposal will soon be presented to the roads and buildings committee and the standing committee for approval. Constructed between 2015 and 2017 at a cost of Rs 34 crore, the Hatkeshwar flyover was inaugurated in 2017. But within five years, it deteriorated, leading to its closure for vehicular traffic in 2022.
The construction was carried out by contractor Ajay Engineering Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. (AEIPL), with a defect liability period of one year.
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The first cracks on the structure appeared in March 2021, with a report on the poor quality of construction following in May 2021.
Material tests by three private laboratories and expert assessments from IIT Roorkee and SVNIT confirmed the issues, culminating in a final report by a three-member committee.
The report highlighted several critical flaws: substandard concrete quality, improper water-cement ratio leading to porous concrete, carbonation affecting durability, and insufficient cement content, all contributing to reduced structural integrity.
On April 15, 2023, AMC commissioner M Thennarasan announced the decision to demolish the bridge, blacklisting the contractor AEIPL and the project management consultant (PMC) SGS India Pvt Ltd.
Four AMC officers were suspended, and departmental inquiries were initiated against four others.
An FIR was filed against eight officials of the contractor firm and the PMC under IPC sections 120(B), 406, and 420. The civic body plans to recover all demolition and reconstruction costs from the contractor.
Despite issuing three tenders for the project, no bids were received. A fourth tender, with a base price of Rs 51.7 crore, attracted a bid of Rs 118 crore from a Rajasthan-based company, but the tender was ultimately cancelled after a technical evaluation by a five-member committee.
An official associated with the AMC's bridge project said on condition of anonymity, "The tender for the demolition and reconstruction of the Hatkeshwar flyover bridge was cancelled, and a new tender was issued for the work at a cost of only Rs. 9.31 crore. Initially, no company showed interest. Subsequently, a short-term tender was issued, and four companies have shown interest. The tender process is ongoing. Once finalized and approved by the standing committee, the demolition of the Hatkeshwar flyover will commence.
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