Pushing steel bridge structure over rail line for Indrali RoB begins in Udupi after Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP sends SoS to Railway Minister

The National Highways Division of the Karnataka Public Works Department was executing the project. It had commenced pushing the girder on April 17 from Manipal-end after KRCL engineers tested the structure. The RDSO conducted the statutory inspection in April last week, and was satisfied with the structure. However, KRCL did not allow pushing of the structure over the railway line stating that it had not received certified copies of the RDSO certification. This abnormal delay angered the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, prompting him to send the SoS.

After Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivas Poojary sent an SoS to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on May 10 regarding the inordinate delay in permitting pushing of the bow-string steel bridge structure for construction of the additional Railway Over Bridge (RoB) at Indrali in Udupi, the rail authorities began facilitating the work on May 12.

On May 10, Mr. Poojary posted on X: “Urgent attention needed for Indrali Railway Overbridge in Udupi district, Karnataka! Despite readiness for girder installation & inspection by #KonkanRailway Chief Engineer, permission is being delayed. Rain could further complicate matters. @AshwiniVaishnaw #RailwayInfrastructure.”

On May 12, the MP told The Hindu that the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of the Indian Railways had inspected the bow-string steel bridge structure. TDSO approved installation on May 11 night, following his SoS to the Minister. The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) would start providing line and power blocks to restrict train movement on the section from 11.30 a.m. onwards at regular intervals, thereby facilitating pulling of the structure over the Mangaluru-Mumbai railway line, he said.

The National Highways Division of the Karnataka Public Works Department was executing the project. It had commenced pushing the girder on April 17 from Manipal-end after KRCL engineers tested the structure. The RDSO conducted the statutory inspection in April last week, and was satisfied with the structure, according to a NH PWD senior engineer.

However, KRCL did not allow pushing of the structure over the railway line stating that it had not received certified copies of the RDSO certification. This abnormal delay angered the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, prompting him to send the SoS, the engineer said.

While the pushing gets completed in about a day, lowering the structure would take about a week followed by concreting the bridge surface, the engineer said. In all probability, the additional RoB should be ready by the end of May, he said.

The department is using hydraulic jacks, birders and rails atop the girders to push the 12-metre wide, 58-metre long and about 476-tonne pre-assembled bridge inch-by-inch.