25 November,2022 07:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
MMRDA says 700-tonne span was erected overnight
The MMRDA on Thursday said the MTHL project has reached a new milestone by completing the erection of the 12th orthotropic steel deck span. "Package 2 of the project has now achieved 86 per cent work completion," said an official. According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the span weighs 700 tonne, which is equivalent to the weight of 140 Asian elephants.
"The work on the MTHL project is progressing at a fast pace. Our team has achieved another milestone by successfully completing the erection of the 12th orthotropic steel deck span in Package 2 of MTHL. The span, which is about 74 metres long and weighs 700 tonne, was erected overnight. Package 2 has now achieved 86 per cent work completion," said an MMRDA official.
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"A total of 70 such spans have to be erected throughout the sea bridge," the official added. The MMRDA has awarded contracts for civil work in 3 packages. Touted to be India's longest sea bridge once completed, it connects south Mumbai at Sewri to Navi Mumbai at Nhava Sheva. The orthotropic steel deck (OSD) is a superstructure, which has lesser self-weight than concrete or composite girders and has the capacity to carry the vehicular load more efficiently.
The steel spans are fabricated at workshop facilities located in Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, etc. and delivered to India. This enables faster construction work and lessens deck-related on-site activities. The total length of spans of the OSD superstructure in both carriageways of MTHL is about 6.41 km. The width of the steel superstructure is about 14.92 m for each carriageway. The total steel quantity to be used for the OSD superstructure in MTHL will be about 87,452 tonne.
The MTHL will feature approach sections, interchanges, intelligence transport system (ITS) and other amenities required for a sea bridge. The traffic conditions on the stretch will be monitored and managed from the traffic control centre with the help of CCTV cameras and related facilities. Also known as the Sewri-Nhava Sheva Harbour Link, the bridge will be 22 km in length, with six lanes. The MMRDA has aimed to complete the project by September 2023. The bridge will reduce the travel time from south Mumbai to Navi Mumbai significantly - to 20 minutes from 120 minutes.
