Repair of iconic Saraighat Bridge carried out in record time

Dimapur, Dec. 28 (EMN): A total of 336 numbers of structural steel members called stringers of the iconic Saraighat bridge have been replaced in a duration of just eight and half months. A press release issued by Chief Public Relations Officer NF Railway/Maligaon mentions that stringers are steel beams positioned along the length of the bridge on which the rails of the track are directly placed wherein load from a passing train are first transferred to the stringers and from them further to other members. Replacement of inner stringers is a very difficult task as it requires removal of outer stringers, stated the release. Workers have to position themselves in very limited working space and the work is to be done by stopping the movements of trains i.e. a “traffic block”. Saraighat bridge is the first rail-cum-road bridge over the mighty river Brahmaputra near Guwahati, added the release. The 1.4 kms long Double – Decker Bridge which connects both North and South banks of Brahmaputra was opened for traffic in 1963. Originally the bridge was constructed to run two MG or 1 BG train. Later during Gauge Conversion in 1982-83 the Rail Stringers were replaced making provision of MG / BG combined track i.e. on which both MG and BG traffic could ply. Now it has one BG track over it. The bridge has already completed 54 years of service. During the more than 54 years of service, the flanges of Rail Stringers get corroded. Hence they needed replacement or strengthening work, added the release. Since March 2017 to June 17 2017 only 14 numbers of new and 19 numbers of strengthened Rail stringers could be replaced due to non-availability of traffic block. However later regular scheduled traffic block for 1 Hr 45 minutes on every Tue., Thur. and Sat. was allotted. This resulted into an increase of replacement of stringers from two to six numbers per block. Accordingly the total work involving 336 Stringers was completed by 15.11.2017 i.e. in eight and half months as against the target date of 31.12.2017. Further the release mentioned that such similar work was done in the year 2007 for replacement of outer stringers, which took about three years to complete.