Is the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Making Progress with the Completion of the Ninth Steel Bridge?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Ninth steel bridge completed in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project.
- Total of 28 steel bridges planned for the entire corridor.
- The bridge spans 200 metres and weighs 2,884 metric tonnes.
- Designed for a lifespan of 100 years.
- Minimal disruption to traffic during construction.
Ahmedabad, Sep 3 (NationPress) The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has reached a significant milestone with the successful installation of the second 100-metre span of a steel bridge over National Highway (NH) 48 near Nadiad, Gujarat.
This achievement marks the completion of the ninth steel bridge out of the 17 planned in the state. The initial 100-metre span of this bridge was inaugurated in April 2025.
Collectively, both spans create a 200-metre-long structure that weighs 2,884 metric tonnes, with a height of 14.6 metres and a width of 14.3 metres.
Built to last for a century, the bridge was fabricated in a workshop located in Salasar, Uttar Pradesh. Notably, NH-48, one of India’s busiest six-lane highways connecting Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, maintained minimal disruption during the launch.
The second span was carefully slid into place across the three lanes using a controlled mechanism, ensuring uninterrupted traffic flow. This bridge was constructed utilizing approximately 1,14,172 Tor-Shear Type High Strength (TTHS) bolts, C5 system painting, elastomeric bearings, and advanced assembly techniques.
The structure was assembled on temporary trestles at a height of 14.9 metres and maneuvered using semi-automatic jacks capable of lifting 250 tonnes, with support from mac-alloy bars. Over the 508-kilometre corridor, a total of 28 steel bridges are planned, with 11 in Maharashtra and 17 in Gujarat.
To date, nine steel bridges have been completed in Gujarat as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. These include a 70-metre-long bridge weighing 673 metric tonnes over National Highway 53 in Surat, and a 100-metre, 1,486 metric tonne bridge over the Vadodara-Ahmedabad main railway line near Nadiad.
A noteworthy structure measuring 230 metres (130 + 100) and weighing 4,397 metric tonnes has been constructed over the Delhi-Mumbai National Expressway near Vadodara, while a 100-metre, 1,464 metric tonne bridge has been finished near Silvassa in Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
Other completed structures include a 60-metre, 645 metric tonne bridge over Western Railways in Vadodara; a two-span structure of 100 metres and 60 metres weighing 2,040 metric tonnes across DFCC and Western Railway tracks in Surat; a 70-metre, 674 metric tonne bridge over two DFCC tracks near Vadodara; and a 100-metre, 1,400 metric tonne bridge over DFCC tracks near Bharuch.
Recently, a two-span steel bridge of 2 × 100 metres, weighing 2,884 metric tonnes, was launched over NH-48 near Nadiad.