Ajni Bridge: ₹333 Crore Project’s First Side Expected to Open by October
Nagpur, India: MahaRail is working quickly to finish the much-anticipated Ajni twin cable-stayed bridge over the Nagpur-Wardha railway line near Ajni station. The Rs 333 crore bridge project is moving forward after overcoming several challenges. Two of the three supports for the first cable bridge are already done, and work on the central pier is still in progress.
Sources say that the next step will be the installation of cables and girders, with the aim to open the first bridge by October. The old Ajni bridge, which is over 125 years old, is no longer safe for heavy vehicles, so the new six-lane bridge will help ease traffic congestion. The project is being built in two phases to avoid major disruptions to traffic.
Once the first phase is done, the old bridge will be removed, and traffic will be redirected to the new bridge. A second cable bridge will be built after that. Traffic will flow on both bridges, with a 1-meter gap between them.
The stone-breaking ceremony for the bridge took place on April 15, 2023, after receiving approvals from the Central Railway, Public Works Department (PWD), and Maharashtra government. There were initial delays due to approval processes for the railway design.
MahaRail officials said they faced hurdles, including permission for tree cutting, land acquisition, and dealing with encroachments. “Tree-cutting approval has been granted, and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is helping with land acquisition,” officials said. The new bridge will reduce traffic jams, especially in the key areas linking old and new Nagpur.
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