Mumbai: A 100-meter long steel bridge was successfully launched over the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) tracks near Bharuch, Gujarat under Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. This bridge marks the eighth steel bridge completed for the ambitious high-speed rail project, with 17 such structures planned for Gujarat and a total of 28 planned for the entire corridor.
Weighing approximately 1,400 metric tons, the steel bridge stands at a towering height of 14.6 meters and spans 14.3 meters in width. The structure was fabricated at a workshop in Trichy before being transported to the site using specially designed trailers. Its launch was carried out using an 84-meter-long launching nose, which itself weighs around 600 metric tons.
The steel bridge was constructed with cutting-edge technology and engineering techniques. A total of 55,300 high-strength Tor-Shear type bolts were used in the fabrication, while a robust C5 system painting and elastomeric bearings were applied to ensure the bridge’s longevity, with a design life of over 100 years.
The assembly process took place at a height of 18 meters from the ground on temporary trestles. The bridge was pulled into place using two semi-automatic jacks, each with a capacity of 250 tons, and mac-alloy bars. This automated mechanism allowed for a precise and smooth installation.
The project required careful planning to minimize disruptions to freight traffic on the DFC tracks. Traffic blocks were implemented in phases to ensure the safety of the installation process while causing minimal disturbance to the movement of goods.
This bridge is the latest achievement in a series of critical milestones for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, which is designed to transform travel between the two cities, cutting down the travel time to over 2 hours.
Earlier completed steel bridges include those across National Highway 53 in Surat, over the Vadodara-Ahmedabad main line near Nadiad, over the Delhi-Mumbai National Expressway near Vadodara, near Silvassa in Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and over Western Railways in Vadodara.
