The Railways will construct four more bridges over the Birupa, Mahanadi, Kathajodi, and Kuakhai rivers in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. These bridges are planned for the 22-kilometre Nergundi-Barang section, and a tender has already been floated for the project. The cost of constructing the 22-kilometer rail line is estimated to be around Rs 10 billion.
This section is part of a larger strategic third line expansion, covering 385 kilometers, between Bhadrak in Odisha and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh on the Howrah-Chennai mainline. Among the planned bridges, the most significant will span 2.1 kilometres over the Mahanadi river.
The first Mahanadi rail bridge, completed in 1899 at an estimated cost of Rs 26,88,200, was considered an engineering marvel at the time. It featured 64 spans, each measuring 30 meters. According to an official statement from East Coast Railway (ECoR), the bridge was designed under the supervision of engineer William Beckett, who received a gold medal from the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1901. The bridge remains a landmark in India?s railway history.
The second Mahanadi rail bridge, commissioned in 2008, was built at a cost of Rs 1.2 billion. Spanning 2.1 kilometres, it was designed to accommodate trains traveling at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour and is engineered to withstand seismic activity, according to ECoR sources.
The upcoming Mahanadi rail bridge, along with others over the Birupa, Kathajodi, and Kuakhai rivers, is part of the third line project. These bridges aim to increase capacity and reliability in the railway network while ensuring safe and efficient travel, as reported by official sources.
A senior railway officer highlighted the importance of this project for increasing train traffic capacity and boosting the region's economy by improving connectivity between key industrial and commercial centres in Odisha and beyond. He mentioned that the additional line would help ease congestion on existing routes, reduce travel times, and improve the overall efficiency of both freight and passenger movements.
Currently, train delays occur due to the absence of a third line, with trains from the Dhenkanal side often being held up due to congestion. Ranjit Swain, a railway enthusiast from the city, noted that the Howrah-Chennai mainline passing through Cuttack and Bhubaneswar experiences the highest traffic, and this project is urgently needed to ensure the smooth flow of both freight and passenger trains.
