In a significant advancement for India’s first high-speed rail corridor, the 11th steel bridge for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has now been successfully installed in Ahmedabad district. The
70-metre-long steel bridge has been positioned over the Cadilla flyover, marking yet another crucial milestone in the construction of the ambitious bullet train network.
Weighing around 670 metric tonnes, the bridge stands 13 metres high and spans 14.1 metres in width. What makes this installation notable is its proximity to the existing Ahmedabad-Mumbai railway tracks, demanding highly precise engineering and strict safety protocols during execution. The bridge was fabricated at a specialised workshop in Navsari, Gujarat, before being carefully transported to the launch site using heavy-duty trailers, a journey that required meticulous coordination due to its massive scale.
Once at the site, the assembly process unfolded adjacent to both the Cadilla flyover and the Indian Railways tracks. Engineers erected specially designed steel staging 16.5 metres above the ground to support the bridge components during installation. This elevated working platform ensured that the ongoing railway operations and nearby road movements remained unaffected, highlighting the project’s commitment to minimising public disruption.
The bridge itself is an example of advanced materials engineering. It has been constructed using approximately 29,300 Tor-Shear Type High Strength (TTHS) bolts—components chosen for their superior gripping capacity and reliability. To enhance long-term durability, especially against weather and corrosion, the structure has been coated with a C5-grade protective painting system, a high-performance industrial coating used in demanding environments.
The Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor will feature a total of 28 steel bridges when completed. Of these, 17 are being built in Gujarat and the remaining 11 in Maharashtra. With each successful launch, the project moves closer to realising India’s vision of introducing world-class high-speed rail travel—aimed at cutting travel time between the two cities to just about two hours.
The successful placement of the 11th steel bridge not only reflects the engineering prowess behind the bullet train project but also signals the steady progress being made on one of the country’s most transformative infrastructure initiatives.
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