India has a large network of different types of bridges, from river and sea bridges to rail bridges and road bridges. The rail-cum-road bridges of India account for a major part of the Indian rail and road network to connect every city.
Indian Infrastructure presents an update on the key upcoming bridge projects…
Chenab Rail Bridge
Indian Railways has taken up the construction of a bridge on the Chenab river in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir. The sanctioned cost of the project is Rs 279.49 billion. As of December 2021, an expenditure of Rs 262.38 billion has been incurred on the bridge project and a length of 161 km has been commissioned. The main arch span of this bridge is 359 metres high from the Chenab riverbed level. The total length of this bridge is 1,315 metres and the span of the main arch is 467 metres. The arch of the Chenab Railway Bridge is being constructed with the erection of arch segments using overhead cable cranes and the deck is constructed by incremental launching. The most sophisticated Tekla software is being used for structural detailing. Once completed, this will be the highest railway bridge in the world.
Majuli Bridge
The construction of the 8.25 km long Majuli Bridge over the Brahmaputra river began in November 2021. The project will be executed by Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited. It is expected that the bridge will be completed in four years. The distance between two pillars will be 120 metres instead of 30 metres and the casting of the upper beams will be in steel and fibre. This new technology has resulted in a significant cost reduction from Rs 60 billion to Rs 6.8 billion.
New Pamban Bridge
The work on the New Pamban Bridge is being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited. There has been a slight delay in the completion of work due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in a considerable number of workers getting infected and the entire bridge construction site being declared a containment zone. In addition, oxygen supply was diverted to hospitals due to the pandemic and thus the supply of industrial oxygen to the bridge construction site was disrupted. The latest anticipated cost of the bridge is Rs 3.8 billion and it is likely to become operational in 2022-23. Once completed, it will be the country’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge.
Juhu Versova Link Road-Mayor Hall Bridge
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has proposed the construction of the Juhu Versova Link Road-Mayor Hall Bridge project. The project involves the construction of a 1.6 km long bridge between Juhu Versova and Mayor Hall near the Barfiwala flyover to reduce the travel time between the Western Express Highway and Versova, in the state of Maharashtra, at an estimated cost of Rs 2 billion.
Others
The Government of India has approved the construction of a 3 km lane bridge on Brahmaputra river in Kamrup district. The bridge will be constructed at an estimated total cost of Rs 30.94 billion. The bridge will decongest the city of Guwahati and increase transport efficiency, thus helping in cutting down travel time for daily commuters from the adjoining districts of Nalbari and Barpeta travelling to Guwahati.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed the construction of the Pamban four-lane bridge in Tamil Nadu. A 1.88 km bridge will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 18.42 billion. NHAI will soon widen two minor road bridges across irrigation canals between No. 1 Tollgate and Samayapuram on the Tiruchi-Padalur section of the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway.
In January 2021, the Gujarat cabinet granted approval to the Moti Koral-Nareshwar bridge project. The project involves the construction of a bridge over the Narmada river to achieve a new corridor connecting Karjan, Nareshwar, Moti-Koral, Bhalod, Netrang and Mandvi at an estimated cost of Rs 3 billion.
The Greater Chennai Corporation has recently proposed the construction of two bridges in Tamil Nadu. The scope of work includes the construction of a bridge to replace level crossing 2B on Manali Road at Korukkupet at an estimated cost of Rs 1.05 billion and another bridge across the Cooum near Chinna Nolambur connecting Poonamallee High Road and Union Road in the state of Tamil Nadu at an estimated cost of Rs 1.2 billion.
The Punjab government laid the foundation stone for the Bela-Paniyali Bridge in November 2021. The project involves the construction of a bridge connecting Bela and Paniyali over the Sutlej river in the state of Punjab at an estimated cost of Rs 1.14 billion. The work is expected to be completed over a period of 18 months.
The way forward
Bridges connecting different areas need to continue to focus on their service life performance. Going forward, the upcoming bridge projects will provide opportunities for contractors, developers, consultants and investors.
