Kourkoumeli bridge closed to traffic
Kourkoumeli bridge
16 Feb 2023
/ 20:31
CORFU. Vehicles will use the rural and municipal roads.
Some inconvenience will be caused to many drivers, due to the closure of the Kourkoumeli bridge in Afra, which connects the west side of central Corfu with the eastern part of the island and mainly with the hospital. Every day about 15,000 vehicles of all types pass through it.
Vehicles will use the rural and municipal roads of the area until the works for the temporary static reinforcement of the bridge will be carried out. In particular, drivers will either have to follow the 'Livadakia' road or the Temploni-Alykes road.
Unanimous decision
The Regional Council unanimously decided at its last meeting to close the bridge to traffic, in order to repair the damage found when the Regional Technical Works Department inspected all of Corfu's infrastructure following Ballos.
As the Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure and Technical Works Manolis Orphanoudakis told Enimerosi, the geotechnical study did not reveal foundation problems. However, because through macroetch inspection it is not possible to fully predict the bridge's condition, it was necessary to close the bridge for safety reasons.
What also contributed to this decision was the fact that, although the Regional Technical Services reduced the tons that the bridge could carry from 15 to 3 to reduce the risk, heavy vehicles are still passing through there.
"For all these reasons the Technical Services could not keep such a bridge open. The bridge is currently estimated to be stable, as shown by macroetch inspections. With the temporary static reinforcement, the bridge will open again," said the Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure.
The adjacent municipal road will also be repaired immediately as a bypass of the Kourkoumeli bridge. "However, despite the closure of the bridge, there will still be a smooth flow of traffic from the existing municipal roads," he said.
Alternatives
"We are looking at the alternatives available to people since the bridge will be closed, as it essentially connects the Eth. Lefkimmi, Pelekas and Paleokastritsa Rd. The shortest way is from Livadakia, otherwise drivers will have to go around Temploni," the Afra community President Spyros Riggas told Enimerosi.
Funding
According to the Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure, €570,000 funding has been requested from the Ministry of Development, in order to tender and implement both the study of definitive works and their construction.
For the time being, however, the Ministry of Development has given approval only for the temporary support works for the bridge for which funding has been secured. The works are estimated to last about two months, barring unforeseen circumstances. However, the contractor who will carry out the work has already been instructed to close the bridge.
Vehicles will use the rural and municipal roads of the area until the works for the temporary static reinforcement of the bridge will be carried out. In particular, drivers will either have to follow the 'Livadakia' road or the Temploni-Alykes road.
Unanimous decision
The Regional Council unanimously decided at its last meeting to close the bridge to traffic, in order to repair the damage found when the Regional Technical Works Department inspected all of Corfu's infrastructure following Ballos.
As the Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure and Technical Works Manolis Orphanoudakis told Enimerosi, the geotechnical study did not reveal foundation problems. However, because through macroetch inspection it is not possible to fully predict the bridge's condition, it was necessary to close the bridge for safety reasons.
What also contributed to this decision was the fact that, although the Regional Technical Services reduced the tons that the bridge could carry from 15 to 3 to reduce the risk, heavy vehicles are still passing through there.
"For all these reasons the Technical Services could not keep such a bridge open. The bridge is currently estimated to be stable, as shown by macroetch inspections. With the temporary static reinforcement, the bridge will open again," said the Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure.
The adjacent municipal road will also be repaired immediately as a bypass of the Kourkoumeli bridge. "However, despite the closure of the bridge, there will still be a smooth flow of traffic from the existing municipal roads," he said.
Alternatives
"We are looking at the alternatives available to people since the bridge will be closed, as it essentially connects the Eth. Lefkimmi, Pelekas and Paleokastritsa Rd. The shortest way is from Livadakia, otherwise drivers will have to go around Temploni," the Afra community President Spyros Riggas told Enimerosi.
Funding
According to the Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure, €570,000 funding has been requested from the Ministry of Development, in order to tender and implement both the study of definitive works and their construction.
For the time being, however, the Ministry of Development has given approval only for the temporary support works for the bridge for which funding has been secured. The works are estimated to last about two months, barring unforeseen circumstances. However, the contractor who will carry out the work has already been instructed to close the bridge.
