Mumbai, July 28 -- The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has erected a 58-metre steel span across National Highway-9 and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Noida Electronic City Metro station without disrupting traffic, marking a milestone in the construction of a reversal facility for Blue Line trains. The structure was installed as part of work to enable trains to change direction after completing trips, intended to improve operational efficiency. DMRC described the operation as carried out safely on a busy corridor.
The reversal facility will require two specialised steel spans measuring 58 metres and 73 metres to cross the highway and the expressway. The 58-metre span has been set between piers 384 and 385, and the 73-metre span is expected to be erected later this year. Officials said the project design accommodates the alignment and traffic flows beneath.
Installation presented technical challenges because the span had to pass beneath an energised high-tension overhead power line near pier 384, necessitating precise planning and safety measures. For the operation, steel trestles were erected at designated locations on the highway and the expressway and support beams were placed on them to receive the prefabricated element. The prefabricated span was launched from the Indirapuram side and progressively pulled into position using specialised machinery until it sat between the piers. The method avoided interruption to road users.
The span now stands about 14 metres above the highway and the expressway. Civil work for the reversal facility is likely to be completed by the end of the year, after which track laying, electrification and other system works will follow. DMRC noted that this was the first instance of a Delhi Metro viaduct being constructed over an operational expressway without traffic interruption and cited earlier projects such as the Moolchand intersection and viaducts at Dhaula Kuan. The agency said lessons from prior projects informed planning and execution.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.