New Delhi:
The foot over-bridge which collapsed outside the main venue of the Commonwealth Games, Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, is expected to be rebuilt by next Thursday with the Army beginning the work today following a request from the Delhi Government.
The Army engineers swung into action after receiving an SOS from the city Government last evening to construct a Bailey bridge "at the earliest" so that common public could go inside the stadium without any hassle.
The 95-metre long under-construction bridge, which was intended to be a showpiece, had collapsed on Tuesday, causing major embarrassment to the city government which had contracted the project to a private firm.
The decision to seek the Army's help was taken at a high-level meeting yesterday which found that an alternative plan formulated by the PWD for entry of spectators into the stadium from the south side may create security concerns.
"An army engineering regiment (with about 800 to 1,000 men) has started the work for the Bailey bridge today. We will complete the bridge within the timeframe and hand it over to the Games organisers," a colonel-rank officer said. The Bailey bridge will come up on three pillars.
A top official of Delhi Government said the Army is expected to complete the work by next Thursday.
"The army engineers said it will take them five days' time to install the new bridge," he said, adding the PWD has been directed to complete construction of the second foot over-bridge, work on which was stopped following collapse of the adjacent bridge.
The foot over-bridge was being constructed to connect the parking lot of the stadium with other side of the street in Lodhi Road area in south Delhi.
Asked about the alternative plan which was put forth following collapse of the bridge, the official said a longer pedestrian route was proposed which would have made the spectators walk over a kilometre to enter the stadium.
The decision to ask the Army to construct the bridge was taken keeping in view Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's instruction to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to put every effort to make the event a success, the official said.
The bridge was being built along with the other over-bridge at a total cost of Rs 10.5 crore by a Chandigarh-based company which has already been blacklisted by the city government.