Capital's showpiece

The Delhi government’s showpiece project promises to capture both eyeballs and footfalls. At a height of 154m, the main pylon of the much-delayed Signature Bridge at Wazirabad will be twice the height of the Qutub Minar and could be one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions when it is completed almost two-and half-years down the line. All this, thanks to China, whose firms stepped up to the challenge, when Indian companies expressed their inability to construct the main pylon of the bridge. A Chinese company, Jiangsu Zhongtai Steel Structure Co Ltd, a sub-contractor of Bridge Contractor Gammon-Constutora-Tensacciai JV, has been given the task of fabricating the 15,000 tonne steel pylon and deck girders. The pylon will be brought to India in pieces and the firm will also be responsible for assembling and erecting the pylon and deck at site. Special grade steel, also sourced from China, will be used to construct the pylon. The Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) says fabrication and erection of the pylon and deck girders will be completed within the next 18 months. The main pylon of the bridge boasts a unique bowshaped, inclined design that is sure to leave a lasting impression on tourists. The Signature Bridge will connect NH-1 on the western bank of the Yamuna to Wazirabad Road on its eastern bank. It will have two subways, footpaths and cycle tracks, besides the bridge. There will be space for a dual, four-lane carriageway (14m each) with a 1.2-metre-wide central verge; space for anchoring cables, maintenance walkway and crash barriers on either side of the central verge. The main span will be 251m and the approach span on either side will be of 36m. There is also provision for cloverleaves to cater to increased traffic volumes in the future. Not surprisingly, getting the requisite clearances for this project was a mammoth task. DTTDC officials said that they first got conceptual approval from the DDA technical committee and then got a green signal from DUAC. DTTDC has also roped in M/S Lloyds, a third-party company from UK, to check the quality of the fabrication work that is being carried out in China. A gigantic crawler crane, sourced from abroad and capable of lifting upto 1200 tonnes, will be pressed into service. The idea of a new bridge to go across the River Yamuna at Wazirabad has been a subject of discussion for several years. The inauguration of the Signature Bridge was initially planned to coincide with the Commonwealth Games but the project became mired in controversy and clearance delays leaving the government no option but to delink the project from CWG. The main aim of the Signature Bridge is to replace the existing two lane barrage cum bridge at Wazirabad and to improve connectivity to North East areas in trans-Yamuna Delhi while also acting as interstate corridor between the Northern states and Uttar Pradesh. The total project cost is Rs 1,131 crores.