A decades-old railway bridge across the Vaitarna river is set to be replaced with modern infrastructure as part of the Virar–Dahanu Road quadrupling project, marking a significant upgrade to rail connectivity on Mumbai’s northern suburban corridor. Railway officials said the first of two new bridges—Bridge No. 92, stretching 628 metres—is likely to be commissioned next month, while the second structure, Bridge No. 93 with a length of 515 metres, is scheduled for completion by March 2027.
The twin bridges are being designed to carry four broad-gauge railway tracks with a 25-tonne axle load capacity. This will allow suburban local trains to operate independently of long-distance mail and express services, a move expected to improve punctuality, reduce operational conflicts, and enhance overall safety on the busy route.
Engineering challenges at the Vaitarna river crossing have required special attention. The river basin is dominated by black cotton soil and clay, both of which pose stability concerns. To address this, bridge foundations are being sunk to depths ranging between 20 metres and 32 metres to ensure long-term structural integrity. Officials confirmed that all necessary statutory clearances—including land acquisition, environmental approvals, and forest permissions—have already been obtained, allowing construction to proceed without regulatory delays.
The bridges form a key component of the Rs 3,578-crore Virar–Dahanu quadrupling project, which is being implemented under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase-3 and executed by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC). According to MRVC, the overall project has reached 47% completion. Work is progressing simultaneously on multiple fronts, including earthwork, bridge construction, station redevelopment, and the building of utility structures.
More than 88% of the required earthwork has already been completed, and over 50 bridges and road underbridges have been constructed so far. Station redevelopment activities are underway at several locations, including Virar, Vaitarna, Saphale, Kelve Road, Palghar, Umroli, Boisar, Vangaon, and Dahanu Road, aimed at improving passenger amenities and handling increased commuter volumes in the future.
Officials also highlighted the use of advanced construction technologies at the Vaitarna crossing. These include rail-based roll-on/roll-off trolleys for transporting materials across marshy terrain, centralised precast casting yards with trolley-assisted erection of heavy girders, prefabricated vertical drains to speed up soil consolidation, and specially designed pile-boring gantries for deep foundation work.
Once operational, the new bridges are expected to significantly boost capacity and reliability on the Virar–Dahanu section, benefiting both daily commuters and long-distance rail passengers.
Source: The Times of India
