Italian tech for two out of 16 bridges on J&K rail link

15 Sep 2022 CW Team

A network of 16 big and small bridges, with a total length of 2.3 km - including two being built with Italian technology - are coming up at a quick pace on the under-construction Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), officials said.

The bridges are being constructed by Mumbai-based Afcons Infrastructure Ltd for the USBRL on the 66-km long alignment being executed by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) to link Jammu & Kashmir with the rest of the country.

For the first time in India, a series of 16 pre-loaded spring dampers (PSDs) are being installed on Bridges No. 39 and 43 to counter seismic load and enhance safety, ushering a new era in bridge building in such geologically complex terrain, said Alimilla Sagar, Afcons Project Manager for the 16 bridges.

Imported from Italy, the PSD installation will start in October and be completed by December on these bridges, coming in the Reasi, Bakkal, Kouri and Sangaldan sectors, with 90% of the works completed, he added.

The PSDs will be installed in the main span and two platform spans of the two bridges, and the Italian carpentry teams for implementing them have reached the site.

"Additionally, a tie-down mechanism is being used on Bridge 30 which is facing the Chenab Valley, to counter the high wind velocity that will hit the structure and ensure its safety," Sagar said.

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