The first of the three double-decker viaducts, with a length of 3.14 km, has been inaugurated on Nagpur Metro Orange Line on Wardha Road. With this, Nagpur becomes the fourth city in India after Jaipur, Chennai, Kochi to have a viaduct for vehicles and metro trains. Recently, the Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary of India, Durga Shanker Mishra announced that the country’s first Multilayer Transport System with Metro Rail at top and Elevated National Highway at the second level, both supported on a single integrated pier on Nagpur’s Wardha Road is now opened for the public. The Wardha Road double-decker bridge starts near Ajni Square and it ends before Pride Hotel. The length of approaches is 305 metres (including both sides).
According to the Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary, this nearly 3.15 km long, 4 to 6 lane Double Decker bridge will benefit five lakh users on daily basis. With three Nagpur Metro stations, the double-decker viaduct enables the provision of long-awaited flyover to Manish Nagar locality near Delhi-Chennai Indian Railways’ corridor. Mishra further said that this unique bridge along with Bow String steel girder with aesthetically pleasing designs, over rail tracks, is a new urban landmark in the city of Nagpur. By integrating three utilities on a single right of way, considerable cost, space as well as time efficiencies have been achieved, he mentioned.
Faster as well as easier construction, without affecting road traffic, better natural light and ventilation in the area was ensured with the help of unique Rib and Spine system of road viaduct design, the Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary stated. While congratulating to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and MahaMetro for this technological feat, Mishra added, the entire development work of this double-decker viaduct was completed in a record time of 36 months.