Amaravati, May 15: While Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu continues to claim that Amaravati will be developed as a world-class capital, serious construction defects surfacing in key infrastructure projects are raising concerns over the quality and execution of works under the TDP-led coalition government.
A major flaw has now emerged in the prestigious steel bridge being constructed to improve connectivity to Amaravati, exposing alleged negligence in supervision and execution. The bridge, being built at a cost of nearly Rs 68 crore as part of the connectivity project linking the capital region to National Highway-16, reportedly developed structural defects even before completion.
The bridge is intended to divert traffic as part of the elevated corridor project from Undavalli to Manipal Hospital and the two-lane bridge works near Kondaveeti Vagu gates. Initially, the government announced that the project would be completed by the end of February. Later, the deadline was shifted to March and subsequently to the end of April.
Despite repeated reviews by the Chief Minister and multiple inspections by Municipal Administration Minister Narayana, serious flaws in the structure reportedly went unnoticed until the final stage of construction. Officials found that steel girders installed on the southern side of the bridge had bent far beyond permissible levels. Engineers warned that laying the slab over the damaged structure could pose serious safety risks.
For a few days, the girders were temporarily supported using heavy cranes. However, as the deformation increased further, authorities decided to dismantle them completely. Removal works were taken up on Wednesday and Thursday, and the damaged girders in the central portion of the southern span were removed.
Officials reportedly admitted that the girders had developed abnormal bending and height variations during installation. Though contractors were earlier instructed to rectify the issue, the defect allegedly worsened during slab works. The flaw was reportedly identified as early as April 20, but corrective measures were delayed.
The incident has triggered criticism against the coalition government, with questions being raised over how such a massive defect escaped scrutiny despite continuous reviews and monitoring at the highest levels. Critics argue that if the government is unable to properly execute even a steel bridge project, its repeated claims about building a futuristic global capital lose credibility.
This is not the first instance of poor-quality construction surfacing in Amaravati works. Earlier, a road being constructed near the Chief Minister’s residence behind the Secretariat reportedly developed severe cracks and had to be rebuilt after the issue came to light. Now, defects in the steel bridge have further intensified concerns over construction quality and accountability.
With major infrastructure works worth thousands of crores under execution in Amaravati, recurring defects and reconstruction works are likely to delay projects further and increase concerns over the quality standards being maintained in the capital region.