A defining moment in the history of India’s metro rail construction will be witnessed when PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the remaining routes of Nagpur Metro Phase-1 on December 11.
Metro routes from Kasturchand Park to Automotive Square (Line-1) and Jhansi Rani Square to Prajapati Nagar (Line-2) will be dedicated to the people of Nagpur.
A major attraction will be the opening of a four-level transportation corridor which is formed out of a 18.9M wide steel girder launched across live railway tracks at a height of 28M from ground level.
The unique multi-level transportation network will be seen for the first time in the country. An existing vehicular and pedestrian underpass forms the bottommost level; there are railway tracks on top of it which form the second level.
The National Highway and the Metro line will form the third and fourth levels respectively. This will be part of Asia’s longest double-decker viaduct spanning 5.3 km.
Afcons had erected this 80M double-decker steel span, weighing 1,650 MT, in a record time of two months. The steel superstructure was placed over the Gaddigodam Railway Crossing where more than 150 trains and over one lakh vehicles passed the construction site every day. Launching of a gigantic 18.9 M wide girder is probably a first in Indian Railways.
“The double-decker Open Web Girder (OWG), which was created with 1,650MT structural steel with 8,000 structural elements, was placed over the busy Gaddigodam Railway Crossing last winter. All the activities were done in extremely tight railway block hours, given how busy this route is. The span stands at a height of 28M above ground. Such a critical and complex task has never been attempted before in India.” said Afcons’ Project Manager Arun Kumar.
