A 100-metre-long steel bridge weighing 1,405 t has been installed in Maharashtra’s Thane district for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, officials said on Tuesday. It is the first steel bridge established in Maharashtra as part of the high-speed rail project.

The bridge was transported on heavy trailers from a specialised workshop in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, about 1,300 km away. It was then assembled at the installation site, with the entire operation planned to maintain structural safety and minimise disruption for highway commuters.

The 14-metre-high and 14-metre-wide structure was launched over National Highway 3 at Dive-Anjur village in the Bhiwandi area on Monday. The National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL), which is implementing the bullet train project, said the bridge was moved into position during scheduled night traffic blocks on the highway.

The installation takes the number of steel bridges completed along the entire corridor to 16 out of the 28 planned. The bridge was fabricated in Trichy using domestic technical and material capabilities under the Make in India initiative, according to the corporation.

The structure has a protective painting system intended to improve durability and elastomeric bearings designed to manage vibrations. An automated system pulled the assembled bridge into place during the launch operation, allowing the work to be completed while limiting the effect on road traffic.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail line will run for 508 km between Mumbai in Maharashtra and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The dedicated corridor is intended to substantially reduce travel time between the two cities and is being developed with multiple bridges and other specialised structures along its route.