Concrete box pushing completed for Mahakalipadpu twin railway-under-bridge project in Mangaluru

Divisional Railway Manager of Southern Railway’s Palakkad division Arun Kumar Chaturvedi said pushing and erecting massive concrete boxes between two busy railway lines, one towards Mangaluru Junction and further towards Mumbai, and another towards Mangaluru Central, was a challenging task. In ordinary circumstances, the Railways would not construct RuBs as massive as the one at Mahakalipadpu. Considering the importance of the connecting road, and keeping in mind the future requirements, the twin RuBs were constructed.

Southern Railway’s Palakkad division achieved a major feat in the construction of the twin railway-under-bridges (RuBs) beneath the Shoranur-Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction lines when it successfully pushed the last of the concrete boxes for the fourth vent beneath the Shoranur-Mangaluru Central line on April 17.

Following the pushing of the three boxes (each 9 metres long, 7 metres high, and 10 metres wide), the division removed the girder placed beneath the Shoranur-Mangaluru Central Up line, kept as support for the track, and restored the track on April 19. Another girder beneath the Mangaluru Central-Shoranur Down line would be removed on April 23, said Divisional Railway Manager Arun Kumar Chaturvedi.

The DRM told The Hindu that the Railways would need another about a fortnight to complete ancillary works on its property, including laying a storm water pipeline from the RuB to the Netravati river, levelling the earth between the two RuBs, facilitating restoration of the approach road from the existing Mahakalipadpu Level Crossing Gate to the RuB site.

The Railways would deploy a heavy-duty motor to pump out water if it gets accumulated in the RuB, he added. The Mangaluru City Corporation would have to restore the service roads, one each on the eastern and western sides, he said.

Project proponent Mangaluru Smart City Limited would require a month from April 23 to give finishing touches to the approach roads from both the ends — Morgan’s Gate and Jeppinamogaru, said a senior officer. It would also lay one of the two service roads that leads to the Netravati Riverfront Promenade by the side of a plywood factory in the vicinity, he said.

Upon commissioning, the twin RuBs are expected to offer seamless vehicular movement from the Central Business District towards Panvel-Kochi National Highway 66, including Thokkottu, Ullal, Talapady and Kasargod.

The then Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel has laid the foundation stone for the Morgan’s Gate-Jeppinamogaru Cross four-lane road. The work was taken up by MSCL at a cost of about ₹50 crore with MSLC contributing ₹30.7 crore and ₹19.87 crore coming from the MPLAD funds.