Newly reconstructed Atlee Bridge inaugurated by the Acting Prime Minister

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Newly reconstructed Atlee Bridge inaugurated by the Acting Prime Minister
Newly reconstructed Atlee Bridge inaugurated by the Acting Prime Minister

Africa-Press – Mauritius. The newly reconstructed Atlee Bridge (Pont Atlee) along La Brasserie Road B70 and funded to the tune of some Rs 11 million, was officially inaugurated this afternoon by the Acting Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo.

The Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, Mr Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram, the Deputy Chief Government Whip, Mr Soobeersingh Dhunoo, the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Serge Gilbert Bablee, the Mayor of the Municipal Council of Curepipe, Mr Hans Berty Margueritte, as well as other personalities were present on the occasion.

In a statement, the Acting Prime Minister recalled that the ancient bridge was a low-lying bridge and often got flooded during heavy rainfall, thus, rendering it impracticable and endangering road users.

In this context, the new bridge has been built to alleviate the problem of flooding and with sufficient headroom to allow free flow of water even during heavy rainfall, he added.

Mr Obeegadoo highlighted that the decision to reconstruct the bridge was taken in the aftermath of the heavy rainfall of April 2021 when the bridge was flooded and water from the rivulet was diverted to nearby houses.

Furthermore, the Acting Prime Minister reiterated Government’s commitment to develop and improve infrastructure with a view to ensure the well-being and safety of residents, road users and the population at large on the long term.

‘We have at heart the quality of life of all citizens, irrespective of the regional area and the number of inhabitants and will continue to strive in that direction’, Mr Obeegadoo underscored.

On this note, he expressed gratitude to Minister Hurreeram for having considered the requests of the Members of Parliament representing the Constituency with regards to infrastructural works required for the bridge.

The Acting Prime Minister likewise congratulated all those who have worked towards completing the project even during the difficult time amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

For his part, the Deputy Chief Government Whip indicated that the provision of enhanced infrastructure such as the newly constructed Atlee Bridge is in line with Government’s objective of providing a safe and secure environment to the population. This bridge will enhance road safety in particular for pedestrians of the region, he further stated.

He expressed gratitude to the stakeholders and the Government for having understood the gravity of the situation and worked towards providing the inhabitants of the region a bridge as per required standards and which will alleviate flooding issues in the region.

Mr Dhunoo pointed out that this project started in May 2021 upon the requests of the inhabitants of the region. The collaboration of partners was enlisted to build this new state-of-the-art bridge with works lasting over nearly one year, he recalled.

The reconstruction of Atlee Bridge The project included the demolition and reconstruction of the Atlee Bridge in May 2021 as well as the widening of the bridge as per the recommendations of the Land Drainage Authority (LDA).

Temporary relocation of services thereat was also carried out to provide a safer and more secure pathway to the inhabitants. The roadworks including asphalt overlay were completed in mid-April 2022 and the finishing works were completed on Thursday 21 April 2022.

The Road Development Authority carried out the following rehabilitation works: Relocation of underground services (Central Water Authority, Mauritius Telecom and Wastewater Management Authority services); Reconstruction of new reinforced concrete bridge of width 4m and height 1.4m with approximate 5.8m wide carriageway and 1.2m wide footpath; Construction of masonry retaining wingwalls; Reprofiling of the road to match new level; and Provision of road furniture (Traffic signs, handrails, road marking and cat eyes).



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