The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has reached another construction milestone with the launch of its first steel bridge in Maharashtra. The 100-metre-long structure, weighing 1,405 metric tonnes, was installed over National Highway-3 at Dive-Anjur village in Bhiwandi, Thane district, during scheduled night traffic blocks, according to the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited.
The structure stands 14 metres high and 14 metres wide. An automated system using two hollow jacks, each with a capacity of 150 MT, along with pre-tensioned Macalloy bars, was used to pull the completed bridge into position, minimising disruption to highway traffic.
Notably, the steel structure was fabricated at a specialised workshop in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, and transported approximately 1,300 km to Thane on heavy trailers before being assembled at site. NHSRCL said the bridge demonstrates India’s indigenous fabrication capabilities under the Make in India initiative. The fabrication process involved precision cutting, drilling, welding and painting, with each steel batch subjected to Ultrasonic Testing and welders certified by international welding experts.
At the site, the bridge was assembled on temporary trestles approximately 17.5 metres above ground level using 22 skid arrangements and 54,076 Tor-Shear Type High Strength Bolts, with a C5 protective painting system and elastomeric bearings added to enhance durability and vibration control.
The installation takes the number of completed steel bridges along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor to 16 out of the planned 28. Such bridges are being constructed at locations where the 508-km high-speed rail corridor crosses highways, expressways, railway lines and major rivers requiring longer spans.
