Gujarat: 130-metre steel bridge span completed for bullet train project
Ahmedabad/Bharuch, May 20 Construction of a 130-metre-long steel bridge spanning an Indian Railways freight corridor in Gujarat's Bharuch district has been completed as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, with officials stating that 230 metres of a planned 330-metre steel bridge structure has now been built.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the bridge is being constructed near Tralsi village and crosses the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) track between the Surat and Vadodara sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.
Project authorities said the bridge is a three-span steel structure comprising a 100+130-metre continuous span and a 100-metre simply supported span. The launching work for the 130-metre continuous span was completed on May 16.
The newly launched span is approximately 18 metres high and 15.5 metres wide, weighing around 2,900 metric tonnes.
Officials said the 100-metre simply supported span, weighing around 1,500 metric tonnes, had already been erected in situ at the construction site in March.
The remaining 100-metre continuous span, weighing about 1,600 metric tonnes, will also be erected in situ. Once all three sections are completed, the total bridge structure will weigh around 6,100 metric tonnes.
According to the release, the steel bridge components were manufactured at the Carbon Factory workshop in Umargam and are designed to have an operational lifespan of 100 years.
The 130-metre span was assembled on temporary trestles at a height of nearly 14 metres above ground level before being advanced using an automated launching system supported by two semi-automatic jacks.
Each jack had a pushing capacity of up to 250 tonnes through Mac-Alloy bars.
Officials said around 1,21,373 Tor-Shear Type High Strength (TTHS) bolts were used in the construction of the span, along with metallic bearings and C5 system protective painting.
"The launching work was successfully completed under carefully coordinated traffic arrangements on the freight track. These arrangements ensured phased execution of the work while maintaining the safety and precision of the launching process and ensuring minimal disruption to freight train movement," officials said.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor includes 28 planned steel bridges overall. Officials said 14 of the 17 steel bridges planned in Gujarat have now been completed.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm really excited about this! But I do wonder about the cost and whether it will be affordable for common people like us. Also hope the project doesn't face too many delays like other infra projects. Still, it's a matter of pride for India's engineering capabilities 🇮🇳
6,100 metric tonnes of steel, 1.2 lakh bolts, 100-year design life... the scale is mind-boggling! Indian engineers are proving they can match global standards. This is the kind of infrastructure we need for Viksit Bharat 💪
It's fantastic that 14 out of 17 steel bridges in Gujarat are already done. But I hope the project doesn't become another white elephant. We need to ensure it connects to the common man, not just the elite. The ticket prices will be key! 🤔
As someone who works in infrastructure in the US, I'm impressed by the technical execution here. Launching a 130m span over an active freight corridor with minimal disruption is no small feat. Kudos to the teams involved! Looking forward to riding this train one day.
This is what progress looks like! The 100-year design life is particularly reassuring - shows they're building for the future, not just quick wins. I hope similar tech gets adopted for other rail projects too. India's infrastructure story is changing for good 🎯
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