A major engineering milestone has been achieved in the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor with the completion of a 100-metre-long ‘Make in India’ steel bridge in Ahmedabad district. The bridge has been constructed over an underground metro tunnel, demonstrating a careful integration of high-speed rail infrastructure with existing urban transport systems.
This is the 13th steel bridge completed in Gujarat, out of a total of 17 planned in the state for the Bullet Train project. Unlike typical viaduct spans of 30–50 metres used along the corridor, this location required a longer span as the alignment passes above the underground metro tunnel connecting Kalupur and Shahpur metro stations. To ensure that no structural load is transferred to the metro tunnel, foundations were positioned away from it, leading to the adoption of a 100-metre steel truss bridge instead of a conventional span-by-span viaduct.
The bridge was assembled at a height of 16.5 metres using temporary trestles before being carefully lowered and placed on permanent supports. Weighing 1,098 metric tonnes, the structure runs parallel to the Ahmedabad–Sabarmati main line of Western Railways and measures 14 metres in height and 15.5 metres in width. It was fabricated at a facility in Wardha, Maharashtra, and transported to site on trailers, underscoring indigenous manufacturing capabilities under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Constructed using over 45,000 high-strength Tor-Shear bolts, the bridge is protected with a C5 corrosion-resistant coating and fitted with elastomeric bearings to enhance durability, safety and long service life. The project highlights Indian Railways’ focus on delivering safe, reliable and future-ready infrastructure while seamlessly integrating new high-speed rail systems within dense urban environments.
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