After almost three years of work, one consignment of the bridge's international components has reached Delhi recently. Another 400-tonne pylon base (a support structure for suspension of bridges) has reached the Kandla port in Gujarat from Jiangsu in China. The huge component is being transported on a special German-made 144-wheel trailer from the port to Delhi.
The Signature Bridge was conceived to provide better connectivity with northeast Delhi and ease traffic on the only two-lane road over the Wazirabad Barrage. The designers' brief was to make something iconic. An introduction document says it was "designed to make a symbolic statement of emerging India" . Several designs were proposed but the Delhi government and the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) short-listed a design by a German firm. "It is an unconventional and complicated design. It's a challenge to execute it but that's what makes it so special. I think the most interesting feature of the design is the tower with a glass top that is going to look radiant when the bridge is illuminated," says Priyank Mittal, superintending engineer, Signature Bridge project, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Ltd (DTTDC).
Even before the fabrication started in China the construction of two approaches on the east and west banks had started in 2008. "The western approach flyover is ready and the eastern approach will be ready by July 31. After that we will start assembling the parts of the bridge that are coming from China," says Jose Kurian, chief engineer, DTTDC.
The Comptroller and Auditor General ( CAG) earlier this year had raised concerns about the quality of construction as major parts of the bridge are being made in China. It had also questioned the project's cost escalation from Rs 459 crore to Rs 1,131 crore. But DTTDC officials say this is natural. "Just the construction of the bare structure costs Rs 631 crore, and the approaches another Rs 350 crore. After logistics, transportation and labour costs are put together, it's likely to be close to Rs 1,131 crore," says Mittal.
DTTDC officials say the decision to fabricate the bridge in China was made by the contractors of the project—Gammon India, which is in a joint venture with a Brazilian and an Italian firm. "After the design was finalized and the contractors were on the job, the procurement process started. A team of experts had to visit several steel mills in China to find the special quality steel we were looking for. A thirdparty quality control consultant was also appointed when the orders were placed," says Kurian. Thousands of shop drawings (the fabricator's drawings of the structure) were made to see different ways in which the design could be fabricated. After several sessions of scrutinizing, fabrication of the bridge started in 2012 in Nanjing, Jiangsu.
Although so many international firms are involved , engineers claim they are hands-on with every step. Every little update or drawing of the project is uploaded on a file transfer protocol (FTP) server. "We are updated on even the smallest change which ensures that quality is not compromised. It also makes the process simple," explains Mittal.
The bridge will boast many interesting features, of which, engineers say, the four inclined lifts are 'extraordinary'. "Instead of going straight, the lifts will move at an angle. In less than two minutes you can reach the top of the pylon from where you can enjoy a view of the entire city. We have not built anything like that in Delhi before. The illumination on the bridge is also unique but that is a secret for now," says an engineer. The eight-lane bridge will also have cycle lanes. Each lane will be about 14 metres wide separated by concrete crash barriers.
While the Yamuna may take long to recover from the environmental damage of several decades, engineers working on the Signature Bridge hope that it will draw people to the riverside more often.
On the job
Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Ltd (DTTDC) .
Design: Schlaich Bergermann und Partner, Germany, & Contsruma CCPL, Mumbai .
Architectural advisor: Rattan J Batliboi, Mumbai .
Wind tunnel studies: Wacker Engineers, Germany .
Seismic studies: IIT Roorkee .
Proof consultants: Systra and M Virlogeux, France with Tandon Consultants Pvt Ltd, Delhi .
Contractor: Joint venture of Gammon India, Construtora Cidade Brazil and Tensacciai Italy.
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