Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)
Udupi, May 12: The long-awaited Indrali Railway overbridge project, which had faced multiple delays over the years, is now nearing completion, with rapid progress observed in recent months.
The bridge has reached a crucial milestone with the ongoing installation of a 60-metre-long girder, paving the way for final-stage works and eventual opening to vehicular traffic.
The girder, weighing approximately 450 tonnes, was brought near the railway track on April 15, the day scheduled for its launching. Following an inspection by the railway department and recommendations from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), the project received the green light to proceed with the next phase of girder pushing.
On May 12, the girder installation resumed and is expected to reach the opposite end of the bridge by 10 am on May 13. To ensure safety, the girder-pushing operation is paused during train movements. On May 12, work continued in intervals, beginning after the passage of the 11:45 am train and halted again before the 1:45 pm train.
Specialised equipment including hydraulic jacks, rollers, and iron tracks are being used to slide the massive structure into place. The piston employed for pushing is 1.2 metres long and requires around 20 minutes per push cycle. In the initial phase, nearly 20 metres of the girder had already been successfully pushed forward.
MP for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency Kota Srinivas Poojary, who visited the site, expressed satisfaction with the pace of work. Speaking to the media, he said, “The Indrali Railway Overbridge has seen significant progress over the past 7–8 months. The girder work was completed earlier and required inspection and approval from the Indian Railways. Now that the RDSO has granted permission, the girder is being installed step by step and should reach the other end by 13 May morning.”
Kota Srinivas Poojary added that the removal of supporting cribs will follow after full placement of the girder, and further work such as concrete laying at ground level will be carried out in the coming days. He estimated that it may take around eight more days for the complete placement and stabilisation of the structure.
National Highway Authority of India engineer Manjunath, Railway Engineer Gopalkrishna, leader Kuilady Suresh Nayak, and others were present.