Gandhinagar, Feb 5 A 100-metre-long steel bridge has been constructed in Gujarat’s Surat for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project.
Developed by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), this bridge spans four railway tracks, including two tracks of the Western Railway and two tracks of the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) between Kim and Sayan.
The bridge comprises two spans of 100 meters and 60 meters, designed to facilitate a double-track standard gauge rail system. The 100-meter span, weighing 1,432 metric tonnes, was launched between January 28 and February 5, over the Western Railway and DFCCIL tracks.
Meanwhile, the 60-metre span will be positioned over an adjacent irrigation canal at the construction site. This infrastructure project required crossing four key railway tracks and an irrigation canal, ensuring a seamless path for the upcoming high-speed rail network.
To install the 100-metre-long steel bridge, an 84-metre-long launching nose, weighing 525 metric tons, was utilised. The 14.3-metre-wide bridge was assembled at an RDSO-approved workshop in Bhuj, Gujarat, and transported by road to the installation site. The bridge assembly was executed at a height of 14.5 metres above ground level using a temporary structure at the Ahmedabad end.
It was precisely pulled into position with 50mm diameter Mac-Loy bars using two semi-automatic jacks, each with a 250-ton capacity. The pier height at the site is 12 meters, and the structure was reinforced with approximately 60,000 Tor-Shear Type High Strength (TTHS) bolts, designed for a 100-year lifespan.
Additionally, the bridge has been painted with a C5 system and will rest on elastomeric bearings for enhanced durability. To maintain safety and precision during the launch, temporary traffic blocks were implemented on both the Western Railway and DFCCIL tracks.
These blocks were planned in phases to minimise disruption to regular train and freight services while ensuring the bridge's smooth installation. With Japanese technical expertise, the Bullet Train project is increasingly utilising India's domestic resources for high-speed rail construction.
The Surat bridge is the sixth steel bridge completed along the Gujarat section of the Bullet Train corridor, out of the 17 planned steel bridges. The other five completed bridges include a 70-metre bridge in Surat, a 100-metre bridge in Anand, a 230-metre bridge in Vadodara (Mumbai Expressway), a 100-metre bridge in Silvassa (Dadra and Nagar Haveli), and a 60-metre bridge in Vadodara.
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