The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has achieved another significant milestone under the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project with the successful completion of an 80-meter-long bridge over the Vishwamitri River in Gujarat's Vadodara district. This newly completed structure marks the 17th out of a total of 21 river bridges being constructed in Gujarat for the bullet train corridor.
The new bridge has been constructed parallel to the Vadodara-Surat western railway main line. Given that the area falls within the densely populated urban stretch of Vadodara, the construction required meticulous planning and coordination with multiple agencies, including the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and other local authorities, to ensure smooth execution.
As per report, the bullet train alignment crosses the Vishwamitri River at nine different points within the Vadodara region. Four of these bridges, including the main river bridge, had already been completed earlier, and construction work is ongoing at the remaining locations.
The engineering design of this bridge stands out for its complexity and precision. The structure spans a total length of 80 meters, consisting of two equal spans of 40 meters each. It has been constructed using the advanced "Span-by-Span" (SBS) method. The bridge is supported by three circular piers, each with a diameter of 5.5 meters and heights ranging from 26 to 28.5 meters. On each pier, twelve supporting columns, each measuring 1.8 meters in diameter and 53 meters in length, have been utilized. The bridge is situated approximately three kilometers from the Vadodara bullet train station.
In total, 25 river bridges are planned along the MAHSR corridor, with 21 located in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. So far in Gujarat, bridges over the Par, Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, Aurang, Vengania, Mohar, Dhadhar, Kolak, Vatrak, Kaveri, Kherera, Meshwa, Kim, Darotha, Daman Ganga, and now the Vishwamitri rivers have been completed. This steady progress marks another crucial step toward the timely execution of India’s first bullet train project, aimed at revolutionizing high-speed rail connectivity between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
