In a significant infrastructure upgrade, the existing steel girder of Bridge 5, located between Mumbai Central and Grant Road on the Mumbai Central division of Western Railway, has been successfully replaced with a specially designed Non-Standard Pre-Stressed Concrete (PSC) slab.
"The complex engineering work, originally estimated to take 13 hours, was remarkably completed in just 10 hours," said a senior officer of Western Railway.
"Bridge 5, a skew bridge with a 49-degree angle and a span of 12 meters, posed unique challenges due to space constraints. To execute the replacement, the project team deployed 10 PSC slabs, each measuring 11,565 mm in length and 650 mm in depth, along with ballast retainers. Given the site conditions, the crane had to be positioned directly on the through lines, necessitating the removal of overhead electrical equipment (OHE) on three tracks," said an official.

Despite these challenges, the team efficiently carried out the task with meticulous planning and precision. The successful and timely completion of this project enhances the safety and durability of the bridge, ensuring smoother operations on the busy Mumbai rail network. "The engineering and execution teams demonstrated exceptional coordination and commitment, making this project a benchmark for future infrastructure upgrades," he added.