Ahmedabad, Sep 3 : The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project marked another milestone with the successful launch of the second 100-metre span of a steel bridge over National Highway (NH) 48 near Nadiad, Gujarat.

This makes it the ninth steel bridge completed out of the 17 planned in the state. The first 100-metre span of the bridge was launched in April 2025.

Together, the two spans form a 200-metre-long structure weighing 2,884 metric tonnes, with a height of 14.6 metres and a width of 14.3 metres.

Designed for a lifespan of 100 years, the bridge was fabricated at a workshop in Salasar, Uttar Pradesh. NH-48, one of India's busiest six-lane highways connecting Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, continued to operate with minimal disruption during the launch.

The second span was slid across the three lanes using a controlled mechanism, ensuring smooth traffic flow. The bridge has been constructed using approximately 1,14,172 Tor-Shear Type High Strength (TTHS) bolts, C5 system painting, elastomeric bearings, and advanced assembly methods.

It was pieced together on temporary trestles at a height of 14.9 metres and moved with the help of semi-automatic jacks capable of lifting 250 tonnes, supported by mac-alloy bars. Across the 508-kilometre corridor, a total of 28 steel bridges are planned ' 11 in Maharashtra and 17 in Gujarat.

So far, nine steel bridges have been completed in Gujarat for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. These include a 70-metre-long bridge weighing 673 metric tonnes across National Highway 53 in Surat, and a 100-metre, 1,486 metric tonne bridge over the Vadodara-Ahmedabad main railway line near Nadiad.

A major structure measuring 230 metres (130 + 100) and weighing 4,397 metric tonnes has been built over the Delhi-Mumbai National Expressway near Vadodara, while a 100-metre, 1,464 metric tonne bridge has been completed near Silvassa in Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

Other completed works include a 60-metre, 645 metric tonne bridge over Western Railways in Vadodara; a two-span structure of 100 metres and 60 metres weighing 2,040 metric tonnes across DFCC and Western Railway tracks in Surat; a 70-metre, 674 metric tonne bridge over two DFCC tracks near Vadodara; and a 100-metre, 1,400 metric tonne bridge over DFCC tracks near Bharuch.

Most recently, a two-span steel bridge of 2 ?? 100 metres, weighing 2,884 metric tonnes, was launched over NH-48 near Nadiad.

/IANS