A completely renovated and operational Mahatma Gandhi Setu (MG Setu) in Bihar will open for traffic after its eastern side is inaugurated on June 7. The 39-year-old structure will become the tallest steel structure on the Ganges River. Bridge With a length of about 5.6 km in the country.
Gandhi Setu is the first balanced cantilever bridge in the country which has been demolished and converted into a simple supported bridge. The existing concrete substructure has been retained, and the superstructure has been replaced with a steel-deck. The bridge rehabilitation work began in 2017 and the western side was inaugurated in 2020. Not to mention that a complex bridge rehabilitation project of this scale was completed in five years.
- Eastern flank (downstream side bridge) completed in 18 months and handed over to open traffic
- Construction of steel superstructure completed in 13 months
- 50 mooring cap revised and inserted in 11 months
- Bridge breaking work completed in 8 months
Recalling the visit, Afcons project manager SK Mishra said, “Earlier there used to be a waiting period of 3-4 hours in case of traffic jams and due to the poor condition of the bridge. But now the traffic will be able to cross the bridge in just 15-20 minutes.
About one lakh passenger vehicles use this bridge every day. This link is important for the socio-economic development of the state as it connects North and South A state in Eastern India,
“We completed the entire downstream lane (east flank) in 18 months and various factors helped in speeding up the construction works. When we were working on the upstream side (western flank), we got to learn a lot. The truss for the downstream side was pre-constructed. We have improved and innovated dismantling methods, such as the use of holding frames for weight spans. We worked on ghat modification and truss erection parallelly,” said Mishra.
The biggest concern in the project was the ongoing traffic on the adjacent bridge at all times. “On top of this, we had to handle a huge amount of dismantling operations with eco-friendly disposal of waste materials. We had to ensure that no debris goes into the river from the demolition of the bridge,” said Mishra.
About 66,360 metric tonnes of steel has been used in the entire bridge superstructure. Elaborating on this, the project manager said, “Steelworks had a huge scope in this project. Procurement and manufacturing done through suppliers and workshops across India.
River bridge construction is always fraught with danger, especially in flood prone areas. The risk was even greater in the case of Gandhi Setu. “During the monsoon, we had to negotiate a rise in the water level in the river area and up to 7 meters of high currents. Flooding was normal and siltation in dry season caused shoal formation hindering the movement of barges,” said Mishra.
The hard work has paid off and Mishra is satisfied that the project team has given a new lease of life to the iconic Gandhi Setu.
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