• By Nidhi Giri
  • Sat, 21 Dec 2024 02:17 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Mumbai Local Train Services Delay: The Western Railway (WR) has began the reconstruction of a bridge over the Mithi river between Bandra and Mahim. This marks the end of one of the last remaining screw-pile structures of the Indian Railways. To facilitate the reconstruction work, a nine-and-a-half-hour block will be undertaken each night on January 24-25 and January 25-26, resulting in the suspension of all local train services between Dadar and Andheri stations during the block period.

The bridge, built in 1888 with cast iron screw piles that supported the railway tracks for more than 135 years, will soon be replaced with a more robust reinforced cement concrete foundation. After a major rail accident on the Kadalundi bridge in Kerala (which had a screw-pile foundation) in 2001, the Railway Board decided to replace all screw-pile foundation bridges on a priority basis. The historic Mithi bridge, once considered an engineering marvel, will soon make way for a modern and safer design, ensuring uninterrupted rail operations in the future, a TOI report stated.

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The report added that the bridge, officially known as Bridge No. 20, spans the Mithi river and supports four railway lines—two slow and two fast—between Churchgate and Virar stations. During the first block, only two slow lines will be affected, while in the second, all four lines will be blocked, the report noted.

The bridge's eight cast iron pillars, weighing 8-10 tonnes each, extend 15-20 meters deep into the riverbed and are nearly 600 mm in diameter with a thickness of 50 mm. A WR engineer stated that these iron piers, although strengthened over the years, have become weak and pose a safety risk. The engineer said, “The screw piles will be dismantled and replaced as part of this reconstruction effort,” as quoted by TOI.

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The report further explained that the bridge spans approximately 50-60 meters and is supported by seven cement girders. The iron screw piles will be replaced on the Churchgate station side. To aid in the reconstruction, cofferdams have been erected on both sides of the river to block the flow of water, and high-power pumps are being used to flush out accumulated water, the report mentioned.