Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: Vishwamitri River Bridge Completed in Vadodara
In a significant milestone for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, the bridge over the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara district, Gujarat, has been successfully completed. This marks the 17th out of 21 planned river bridges completed in the state for the ambitious bullet train corridor.
The 80-meter-long bridge is strategically located adjacent to the Vadodara–Surat main line of Western Railways and comprises three circular piers, one situated in the river stream and two on the banks. Each pier is supported by 12 piles of 1.8 meters in diameter, extending up to 53 meters deep.
Constructed using the Span-by-Span (SBS) method with two 40-meter spans, the bridge posed unique engineering challenges due to its urban setting. Coordination with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and local authorities was crucial.
The Vishwamitri River is crossed at nine different points by the bullet train alignment. Of these, four bridges are now complete, and construction continues on the remaining five.
Gujarat accounts for 21 of the 25 total river bridges in the bullet train corridor, with major bridges already completed over rivers including Par, Purna, Ambika, and Dhadhar.
