9.5-hr block on 2 nights in Jan for Mithi bridge work


9.5-hr block on 2 nights in Jan for Mithi bridge work

Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) has commenced reconstruction of a bridge over Mithi river between Bandra and Mahim, marking the end of one of the last remaining screw-pile structures of the Indian Railways. Built in 1888, the bridge’s cast iron screw piles, which supported the railway tracks for more than 135 years, will soon be replaced with a more robust reinforced cement concrete foundation.
Following a major rail accident on the Kadalundi bridge in Kerala (on a screw-pile foundation) in 2001, the railway board had decided to replace all bridges with screw-pile foundations on a priority. The historic Mithi bridge, once considered an engineering marvel, will soon make way for a modern and safer design, ensuring uninterrupted rail operations for the future.
To facilitate the reconstruction work, a nine-and-a-half-hour block will be undertaken during each night of Jan 24-25 and Jan 25-26, suspending all local train services between Dadar and Andheri stations during the block period.
The bridge, officially known as bridge No. 20, spans Mithi river and supports four railway lines—two slow and two fast—between Churchgate and Virar stations. In the first block, only two slow lines will be affected and in the second, all four lines will be blocked.
The bridge’s eight cast iron pillars, weighing 8-10 tonne each, extend 15-20m deep into the riverbed and are nearly 600mm in diameter with a thickness of 50mm. “These iron piers, although strengthened over the years, have become weak and pose a safety risk,” said a WR engineer. “The screw piles will be dismantled and replaced as part of this reconstruction effort.”
The bridge spans around 50-60m, supported by seven cement girders. The iron screw piles will be replaced on the Churchgate station side. To aid the reconstruction, cofferdams (temporary barriers in or around a body of water that allow the process of de-watering, diversion or damming of water within an enclosed area) have been installed on both sides of the river to block the ingress of water, and high-power pumps are being used to flush out accumulated water.




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