Agra metro builds 60-metre steel bridge over railway tracks without pillars

Agra is building a special 60-metre-long steel bridge for its metro network that will cross over railway tracks without needing any pillars in the middle. The massive bridge is 11 metres wide and has been built by joining 154 smaller parts together. Officials plan to move this entire structure into place over the railway lines using a special rolling technique. This method ensures that train services on the tracks below will not face any disruption during the construction work.

Construction Details

Workers are currently finishing the structure and tightening bolts at the Rawli railway crossing in Agra. According to Panchanan Mishra, who is the joint general manager at the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation, the rolling process will begin once the bolting work finishes. Teams have set a target to complete this phase by the end of November. Usually, metro projects use standard U-girders that measure about 28 metres, but engineers built this longer span to maintain safety and proper space over the railway lines.

Next Steps

Workers will place concrete slabs on top of the steel span after positioning it above the railway tracks. They will then lay down the tracks for both up and down metro operations. This second metro corridor runs from Agra Cantt to Kalindi Vihar. Builders plan to use around 10 to 11 similar special steel spans across this route, including locations near St Johns Crossing, Bhagwan Talkies, and the Yamuna River.

Context

Metro projects often use large steel spans to cross major obstacles like rivers, busy roads, and railway lines where normal concrete pillars cannot be built. This engineering method helps connect different parts of a city's transit network smoothly while keeping existing rail and road traffic running without major delays.