The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has reached another construction milestone with the successful erection of its first steel bridge in Maharashtra. The 100-metre-long structure, weighing 1,405 metric tonnes, has been installed near Dive-Anjur village in Bhiwandi along the Mumbai-Nashik highway.
The bridge is the first steel structure of its kind to be completed in Maharashtra as part of the bullet train corridor. The project is being executed by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), with construction progressing at multiple locations across Thane district.
A notable feature of the bridge is that its fabrication was undertaken at a specialised workshop in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, nearly 1,300 kilometres from the installation site. After fabrication, the individual components were transported to Bhiwandi on trailers, where they were assembled and prepared for installation.
NHSRCL said the steel components underwent precision assembly, painting and quality checks in accordance with prescribed technical standards. Ultrasonic testing was also conducted on every production batch of steel to verify its quality.
At the construction location, the completed structure was positioned on temporary trestles approximately 17.5 metres above ground level. The assembly involved 22 skid arrangements and 54,076 high-strength tor-shear bolts.
To improve the bridge’s durability and control vibrations, engineers installed a protective coating system along with elastomeric bearings. Once the assembly and connection work was completed, two hollow jacks, each with a lifting capacity of 150 metric tonnes, were deployed.
The bridge was subsequently shifted into its designated position using an automated mechanism supported by a pre-tensioning system. The installation was scheduled during a night-time traffic closure to minimise disruption to vehicles travelling along the busy highway.
The bridge has a width and overall height of 14 metres, while its main steel structure weighs 1,405 metric tonnes.
A total of 28 steel bridges are planned along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train route. According to the project update, 16 of these bridges have already been completed, marking continued progress on the high-speed rail corridor.
Source: Loksatta
