The Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project has overcome the biggest hurdle falling on the route by establishing a 220-tonne steel span for a key viaduct over the Barapula drain near Sarai Kale Khan, officials said on Thursday. The challenge was to cross the ring road, the Barapula flyover and the drain below the structure.

A steel span of four girders weighing 200 tonnes has been successfully installed on the Barapula flyover for the viaduct being built to connect Sarai Kale Khan station to Jangpura stabling yard. This span has been specially built at the place where the corridor crosses existing structures like a drain and the Barapula flyover.

Each steel girder is about 40-meters-long and weighs 50 tonnes. They were installed during night with the help of three high capacity cranes through a two-stage lifting process.

Since there was a drain flowing below and the Barapula flyover stood above, the girders were first placed on the flyover and then lifted from both sides and carefully installed on the pillars.

During the task which required perfect calculation, right technique and engineering excellence, alternate power supply was arranged with the help of Delhi Transco Limited to protect the 220 kV high tension line.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) team successfully completed this important task by following all safety standards with the cooperation of the administration, the Public Works Department (PWD) and Traffic Police.

This steel span is assembled at the site from various parts, which are specific to the requirements of design, manufacturing and installation.

The NCRTC aims to fully open the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor to the general public by 2025 end, making travel more comfortable, faster and safer.

The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS being developed at a cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore, will connect Delhi to Meerut in less than an hour of travel time going through the urban centres of Ghaziabad, Muradnagar, and Modinagar.