CAIRO: A steel junction on 6th of October Bridge sunk Wednesday morning causing traffic on one of Cairo's main arteries, leading to a almost complete standstill. The junction in question was on the part of the bridge leading from Abdel-Moniem Riad Square off Tahrir in the direction of Ramsis Square, forcing cars to pass one at a time. The sinking of the junction was officially ascribed to the bad weather conditions in Cairo recently. Professor of Geology at Helwan University Yehia El Gazzaz was skeptical that the weather was behind the strange phenomenon. "In Egypt we always offer an explanation immediately without pausing to examine it properly, he said. "How can the weather affect the steel junctions of the bridge? Gazzaz attributed the incident to either a modification of the concrete areas of the bridge or a rise in the water levels in between the partitions on the bridge due to lack of maintenance. However maintenance was being carried out on the junction and on the bridge every Friday and Saturday for the past two months, but only on the main branch which links Salah Salem street to Tahrir Square. Gazzaz felt that the lack of sufficient geological studies prior to construction often lead to problems such as these. "We don't respect geological surveys before construction and don't pay attention to the lateral variations in the ground, so with time narrower sections of the bridge may collapse under the weight. The water level also plays a part; the ground could become more soluble so the junctions could sink, he said. The 6th of October Bridge is the longest bridge inside the capital city, connecting Nasr City to Heliopolis, Abbasiya and Ramsis through to Tahrir, Zamalek and Mohandiseen. "Studies by construction engineers are not enough, Gazzaz said, "there is a competition between geologists and engineers who carry out the studies themselves when they should consult a geologist. This is the third incident where the ground has partially sunk in Cairo in one month.
