The Nagpur Metro bridge at Uppalwadi is taking shape 80 feet above busy railway tracks, as MahaMetro advances a key structure under its Phase-II expansion.
The 257-metre bridge is being built without scaffolding underneath, using a 40-tonne machine and the balanced cantilever construction method, according to a Times of India report.
The structure forms part of Reach-2A, a 6.92-km corridor connecting the existing Phase-I terminus with Lekha Nagar near Asha Hospital on the Kamptee route.
It will cross three South East Central Railway lines: Godhani-Kalamna, Chhindwara-Nagpur and Khaparkheda.
Balanced cantilever method enables construction above railway lines
The bridge is being constructed using a technique that allows engineers to extend the deck horizontally from supporting piers without extensive ground-level temporary structures.
A senior MahaMetro official said concrete segments are being cast successively on either side of each pier. Engineers then join them using post-tensioning technology to maintain structural balance as construction progresses.
The bridge will have a 110-metre main span over the railway crossing. It will be flanked by two additional spans measuring 74 metres and 73 metres.
The Metro tracks will be positioned approximately 24 metres above ground level.
Superstructure work begins at Uppalwadi
MahaMetro has completed the substructure, while work on the superstructure has begun at the Kamptee end.
At the Nagpur end, workers are constructing a 10.5-metre concrete platform, known as a hammerhead, on top of a pier.
A form traveller mounted on the platform will help construct the bridge deck progressively towards the railway tracks.
The construction method avoids scaffolding beneath the bridge, reducing obstructions along the railway corridor and nearby roads.
Work is progressing in day and night shifts.
Reach-2A to extend Nagpur Metro towards Kamptee
The 6.92-km Reach-2A is the longest stretch under Nagpur Metro Phase-II. It will extend the network from the existing Phase-I terminus towards Lekha Nagar on the Kamptee route.
The Uppalwadi bridge is a key component of this extension because it crosses three operational railway lines.
Once completed, the structure will address a major railway-crossing challenge and enable the Metro corridor to extend towards Kamptee.
