The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has achieved a major construction milestone for Mumbai Metro Line 2B by installing the first 70-tonne steel back-span pier segment of the Bandra Railway Over Bridge (ROB), marking the start of steel superstructure work on the cable-stayed bridge.
The 200-metre-long bridge is being built across the Western Express Highway and the Western Railway corridor near Bandra railway station, one of the city’s busiest transport hubs. According to MMRDA, the steel segment was lifted and installed without affecting railway operations or vehicular traffic. The bridge forms an important component of the 23.6-km Metro Line 2B corridor, which will connect D.N. Nagar and Mandale, strengthening east-west connectivity across Mumbai.
As per the authority, the bridge has a 104-metre main span supported by back spans measuring 43 metres and 53 metres. Its steel superstructure will comprise 49 composite steel segments, including 24 segments across the back spans and 25 across the main span.
The project also includes two pylons rising 20.1 metres above ground level. Four of the six casting lifts for both pylons have already been completed, while all foundation and pier works forming the bridge’s substructure have been finished.
Following the successful installation of the first steel segment, construction will now move to the next stage of erecting the remaining steel superstructure. Officials described the achievement as a significant engineering milestone due to the complexity of carrying out construction above an active railway corridor and the heavily trafficked Western Express Highway while ensuring uninterrupted movement of trains and vehicles.
Once completed, Metro Line 2B will integrate with four Metro corridors, the Mumbai Monorail, and the Western and Central Railway suburban networks, creating a multimodal transport system across the city.
Currently, Phase 1 of Metro Line 2B between Diamond Garden and Mandale is operational. MMRDA also plans to open Chembur station to enable connectivity with Mumbai Monorail services, which are expected to resume from V. N. Purav Monorail Station. According to the authority, the fully operational corridor is expected to reduce travel time by up to 75 per cent while easing road congestion and lowering vehicular emissions across Mumbai.
Source: The Free Press Journal
