35 ton Steel Girders: In a remarkable engineering feat, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) successfully launched five 36-meter-long, 35-ton Steel Girders within just three hours, today. The girders were installed as part of a Road Over Bridge (ROB) project at VSS Nagar, located between Bhubaneswar and Mancheswar Railway Stations. This complex task was carried out by the Construction Wing of ECoR under a meticulously planned 3-hour traffic and Overhead Equipment (OHE) block, in collaboration with Khurda Road Division.
Executing such a challenging operation in a busy railway Line, especially in Howrah-Chennai Main Line, one of India’s busiest Railway Section; required meticulous planning and coordination. The Chief Project Manager (CPM) and his team in Bhubaneswar managed to complete the task despite multiple logistical challenges, setting a benchmark in project execution. “The successful launching of these girders, each spanning 36 meters, was not small feat. This marks a significant milestone in the ROB construction, which replaces a highly congested level crossing with a Train Vehicle Unit (TVU) count of 2 lakh, recorded during the last census.
The ROB at VSS Nagar is being constructed to replace the Special Class Level Crossing between Bhubaneswar and Mancheswar Stations, which has long been a bottleneck for both Road and Rail Traffic. Once completed, it will drastically improve the traffic flow in areas like Mancheswar Industrial Estate, Chakesiani, VSS Nagar, Sainik School, Gadakana, and Chandrasekharpur in Bhubaneswar.
While ECoR has successfully placed the girders on the piers in the railway portion. The remaining construction work in the railway portion, including deck slab installations, crash barriers, and approach junctions, is expected to be completed by December 2024. The state government is also on track to finish the road approach girders within the same time frame.
The completion of this ROB will be a significant boon for the region, providing much-needed relief to commuters and eliminating the busy level crossing that has long been a safety concern. Additionally, the project will ease train operations in this congested Railway Section, aligning with Indian Railways’ mission to enhance both Road and Rail Safety.
This ROB project is being constructed in place of Level Crossing No. ML 186 and has seen an investment of ₹48.2 crore in Railway portion, only. Several critical works, including the relocation of electrical transformers and underground cables, were completed earlier to facilitate the progress of this mega project.
Once commissioned, this ROB will not only improve road safety but also enhance the operational efficiency of train services in one of the busiest sections of the Indian Railways network, in line with the Railways’ commitment to ensuring fast, safe, and reliable journeys.
