The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai’s civic body, has taken a significant stride forward in its ambitious coastal road project by loading a 2000 metric tonne, 136-meter span bowstring arch onto a barge at Mazgaon Dock Jetty. This endeavor is poised to connect the final leg of the Coastal Road to the Worli Bandra Sea link.
Designed to mirror the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, the bowstring arch has expedited construction processes. Special techniques employed during erection ensured minimal disruption to navigation and the livelihoods of Worli’s fishermen. Initially, the main bridge of the Coastal Road at Worli faced opposition from the fishing community, necessitating a change in span length from 60m to 120m.
“The final launching of the girder will take approximately two days, subject to weather and tidal conditions,” remarked Pawan Padiyar from Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd.
The project’s timelines for the connecting span were highly demanding, requiring design, fabrication, assembly, and erection of over 7000MT of bridge structure within a tight 12-month timeframe. Furthermore, the erection scheme was meticulously planned to minimize interference with the navigation of Worli’s fishermen.
Fabrication of approximately 5000 MT was conducted at HMM Infra’s factory in Ambala, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery to ensure quality fabrication. Gaurav Sood, overseeing fabrication and assembly works at HMM Infra, commented, “With a spanning length of 130m, width of 27m, towering height of 30m, and maximum individual member weight of 35MT, this unique bridge exemplifies the ingenuity driving infrastructure projects in India.”
The assembly of the arch took place at Mazgaon Dock in Nhava village, facilitating the loading of the prefabricated, preassembled bridge onto a barge for transportation by sea route. The colossal barge used for transportation is equivalent to the size of a football ground.
“Erecting such a massive structure in open sea conditions with minimal draft and rocky bed poses risks to marine vessels. Precise study of weather conditions including wind, swell, and tide is imperative to ensure safe erection,” informed Shailesh Thatte from Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd.