Girders for Navi Mumbai’s Metro to Finally be Launched Over Sion-Panvel Highway

As per a recent report, Nagarjuna Construction Company – the contractor for the southern portion of Navi Mumbai’s 11.10 km line 1 from Belapur to Pendhar will this month finally begin launching the required girders to build the line over the Sion Panvel highway!

The contractor had patiently been waiting for the Traffic Department’s approval to begin work for at least two years, and now they’ve FINALLY come up with a traffic routing plan.

Satellite imagery of this section:

Purple star – location where girders will be launched over the Sion-Panvel highway

The length of the girders will measure roughly 60 meters and will rest on top of a lone pillar built on the median of the highway (see images below).  For the launching to commence, a steel support structure will be built due to which one lane of the highway on both ends will closed.

As per a CIDCO official:

As the traffic flow is heavy on this stretch, we will first start installation of girders over the traffic going towards Pune. Some support system would be required to put the girders in place, as a result of which one lane of the highway will be occupied. However, we will ensure that vehicle movement is least affected at the construction site. The work is likely to commence after November 6, when repair work of the Belapur flyover is completed. Once the first girder is placed, work on the second, which passes over the highway on traffic going towards Mumbai will commence. Installing a single girder will take at least 70-80 days.

This lone pillar will soon have company! – Photo Copyright: Mid-Day

Another view of the pillar – Photo Copyright: Mid-Day

With the Traffic Department’s approval sorted and out of the way, the only 2 issues left are:

• Railways crossing at Taloja: The Central Railway is yet to approve the design of a 100 meter long steel bridge. As per CIDCO, the approval is in its final stages.

• High-tension wire between Belpaur and Kharghar: CIDCO is yet to receive approval for extending the height of high-tension wires to allow the metro line pass below it.

For more updates on Navi Mumbai’s metro, check out the Navi Mumbai section of The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG