Rtd army officer, kin elated after Morbe dam road overbridge girders launched

The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation launches girders of the Morbe dam road overbridge early on Friday morning

When the launching of five massive I-beams of the new Morbe dam road overbridge was completed at 3 am on Friday, Honorary Retd. Captain Sharad Bhaurao Kadam and his family, who have been inconvenienced ever since the structure's predecessor was razed two years ago, were overjoyed that the project was being expedited.

Captain Kadam and his daughter Madhuri were the sole users of the old bridge, which was narrow. Since this structure was demolished two years ago, the young woman has been travelling an additional five to six kilometres daily to catch a bus in order to purchase household supplies. The family's thriving plant nursery, ‘Meraki,' was also affected after the old bridge was razed.

Apart from them, the previous road overbridge catered to the Morbe Dam engineering team, thus serving all Navi Mumbaikars.

"It is great that the bridge is finally being built. My parents are old and they had to bear the brunt of the decision to reconstruct the previous structure. Now that the work is underway, we will reap the benefits," Madhuri told mid-day.

"The problem was that the place is a bit isolated and is not accessible by public roads. We have a hatchback car. But with the small bridge broken, we have to take a six-kilometre journey to reach the nearest marketplace at Chowk near Karjat," she said.

Railway engineers said, despite the family's difficulties, Capt Kadam had always been cooperative. "Whenever Kadam Sir called to discuss problems he was facing, he was always polite, showering praises and offering jaggery and water, before requesting that we look into some of the issues," an official said. "I hope within a month all the troubles faced by them will end and Meraki thrives. All the plants that we used to gift dignitaries visiting a tunnel were sourced from the nursery," he added.

Captain Sharad Bhaurao Kadam and his wife Anita Kadam at their residence near the Morbe dam

Achievement at night

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) successfully launched the five massive I-type girders for near Chowk station between 12.12 am and 2.59 am. Each of the five measures 48.3 metres in length and 2.5 metres in depth, with an individual weight of approximately 80 metric tonnes. The total weight of the launched girders ranges between 370 to 400 metric tonnes, making it one of the largest spans in the Panvel-Karjat section," a MRVC spokesperson said.

How was it done

"The launching was carried out using a 700 MT capacity crane. Adequate backup arrangements were made with a standby crane, three hydra cranes (feranha), and a Poclain machine. Around 70 workers, along with MRVC engineers, the general consultant and the contractor, were present to ensure smooth and safe execution of the operation. A medical van was also kept on standby as a safety measure for medical emergencies, if any," the spokesperson added.

This achievement marks yet another significant stride by the MRVC and its team towards the realisation of enhanced suburban connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

How the bridge helps

"This new bridge will serve as a crucial connector between the Old Mumbai-Pune National Highway and Morbe village, including access to the vital Morbe dam, a key source of drinking water for Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The structure spans above the Panvel-Karjat suburban railway corridor and represents a major step toward achieving the project's targeted commissioning by December 2025," he added.

mid-day had reported how the Panvel-Karjat railway project, taking shape under Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3, will prove to be a gamechanger and how the Central Railway had kept three local trains ready for operations there. Once ready, the project will work as a catalyst for the development of Panvel, Karjat and Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area. The expected deadline for the project is December 2025.

48.3M
Length of each girder