Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, the Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking that has supplied the largest number of warships to the Navy and Coast Guard, is also the market leader in fabrication and erection of Bailey-type and modular steel bridges in India. The company has now developed a new Steel Pedestrian Foot Suspension Bridge with spans up to 400 feet (122 metres) and a carriageway width of 2.20 metres, conforming to IRC-6 Load Class 18R.
The design has been vetted and validated by IIT-BHU. The bridge is intended for pedestrian and light motor vehicle traffic up to 400 kg, featuring anti-skid steel decking and high-tensile structural steel for main load-bearing elements. A galvanised finish conforming to IS:2629 allows the bridge to last 45–50 years with periodic maintenance.
A senior GRSE official said these bridges are ideally suited for providing quick access to remote, inaccessible areas and facilitating connectivity and socioeconomic development in difficult terrain, and can also be used alongside existing bridges in urban and rural areas.
GRSE has supplied over 5,900 such bridges of various lengths and load-bearing capacities to organisations including the Indian Army, Border Roads Organisation, state PWDs and NHIDCL, with significant numbers also supplied to Odisha and Chhattisgarh for rural development. The company also exports portable and modular steel bridges to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
The 66-year-old DPSU shipyard has built over 800 vessels including 118 warships for the Navy and Coast Guard, and is currently building 39 platforms, including nine warships and 13 export vessels.
