Maharashtra to get India’s highest road cable-stayed bridge

Indiarsquos highest cablestayed road bridge is being constructed in Maharashtra This 132mhigh bridge is being constructed by infrastructure major Afcons in the MumbaiPune Expressway Missing Link project At present the length of the existing Mumbai Pune Expressway from Khopoli exit to Sinhgad Institute is around 19 kmsThe Missing Link Project will bypass the Khandala Ghat section and will reduce the distance of the expressway by over six kilometres reducing travel time by more than 25 minutesHighest cablestayed road bridgeThe MumbaiPune Expressway Missing Link project has been divided into two packages Afcons is executing PackageII which comprises widening of the existing expressway from six lanes to eight lanes construction of two viaducts including a cablestayed bridge in one of the viaducts approach roads slip roads among various other featuresThe foundation works for ViaductI which is about is 850m long has been completed and the launching of pretension girders and deck panels is in progress Viaduct II where the cablestayed bridge is being constructed is about 650m long The bridge will be at a height of 132m from ground level which will be the highest for any road project in the countryldquoAt present the construction work of the foundation piers and pylons is being undertaken in ViaductII The highest pylon in this viaduct would be 182m from ground level and this would also be the highest in any road project in India said Afconsrsquo Project Manager Ranjit JhaAlso read Mumbai New foot overbridge opens at Dadar but not for platform 4ldquoThe Khandala Ghatrsquos hairpin turns are prone to landslides and accidents The new link will help in reducing accidents besides improving fuel efficiency and reducing gas emissions on the stretchrdquo he added Work on PackageII of the MumbaiPune Expressway Missing Link project began in 2019 and will be completed in 2024Blasting work on expresswayThe project faces various geological transportation and extreme engineering challenges For the widening of the existing expressway from six lanes to eight lanes blasting for hill cutting has to be carried out in allotted slots by the authoritiesDuring blasting not only traffic but also work near blasting locations are halted and manpower and machinery are moved to a safe area far from the impact zone Transportation of material and shifting of girders during heavy traffic on expressway are few other challenges that the team facesThe project team has already achieved over 17 Million Safe Man Hours and strict safety protocols are being adhered to in the projectPackageII Highlightsbull Widening of 586Km existing expressway including lanes bridges vehicular and passenger underpassesbull Construction of 102Km of approach roadsbull Construction of 132M high cablestayed bridgebull Highest pylon of 182M on cablestayed bridge