Construction of the 360-meter-long river bridge atop Purna river falling between Bilimora and Surat stations in Gujarat was fraught with challenges for the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the implementing agency for the bullet train project to connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Of the total 24 river bridges on the high speed rail corridor, 20 are being constructed in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. The Purna river bridge is the second of these bridges to be completed. “The foundation work was challenging as water levels in the river kept rising between five to six meters every fortnight due to high tides,” senior officials in NHSRCL said.
Continuous monitoring of high and low tides from the Arabian Sea was carried out during the construction, they further said.
The bridge consists of nine full span girders of 40 meters each. The piers are 10 metres to 20 metres high, and the circular piers are four to five meters in diameter. While the girders horizontally support the bridge, the piers are vertical structures and more like pillars that provide foundational support.
The first river bridge — 320 meters in length — was completed in January 2023, built over Par river between Vapi and Bilimore stations in Valsad district of Gujarat.
Officials said that a 1.2 kilometre long bridge on the Narmada river in Bharuch will be the longest bridge to be constructed in Gujarat. “Construction works like the foundation, pier work and other infrastructure works are in progress over Sabarmati, Mahi, Narmada, Tape and other rivers in different districts of Gujarat,” they said.
Earlier this month, on June 8, the NHSRCL signed a contract for the construction of a 21-km long tunnel, including India’s first seven kilometre long undersea tunnel, with Afcons Infrastructure Limited. The undersea tunnel at Thane creek, which is an intertidal zone, will be a single tube tunnel to accommodate both the up and down tracks. The tunnel will be 25 to 65 metres deep from ground level.
Officials estimate that the bullet train will be operational by 2026.
