Hyderabad: Durgam Cheruvu Cable Bridge to be opened soon

Hyderabad: Mayor Bonthu Rammohan said the development and beautification works of Durgam Cheruvu are being carried out at a brisk pace. He said this while inspecting the works recently. He informed that in order to create a splendid atmosphere, development works that include beautification of the Durgam Cheruvu has been taken up at a cost of Rs 42 crore, steel bridge at a cost of Rs 184 crore, lighting at a cost of Rs 9 crore. A flyover costing Rs 150cr would be constructed along with these works to enable free flow of traffic, he said, adding that the first ever cable-stayed bridge would remain as an icon for tourist attraction.

L&T Constructions has taken up the project work as part of the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP). Once thrown open to public, the cable-stayed bridge would shorten the distance between Madhapur and Jubilee Hills and connect the Hitech city and financial district with the rest of the city. It is also expected to ease traffic congestion on Road No. 36 and Madhapur.

Length of the bridge alone is 426 metres, and coupled with approaches, it reaches up to 736 metres. Apart from the aesthetics, design, ambience and other elements, the cable bridge at Durgam Cheruvu would be known for its engineering brilliance as well. The structure is already garnering the attention of many experts and is being appreciated by many for its technicalities and aesthetics. In February, Installation Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering vice-president Harshvardhan Subbarao inspected the works and was impressed with the construction techniques. He insisted that the GHMC make a presentation on the bridge to bag international awards at different forums.

In June, officials conducted a load test on the bridge to check the load-bearing capacity and other aspects of the structure. To this effect, the test was conducted by imposing 1,080 tonnes of load onto the deck in an incremental form. As many as 36 trucks (10-tyre), each having a capacity of 30 tonnes, were parked on the deck for 24 hours. It was the final lap of tests and other procedures to be conducted for opening the bridge for traffic.

Carrying out such a complex operation and monitoring it to the finest accuracy and standards is a testimony of the efforts and grit of the execution team. The cable-stayed bridge across the lake is said to be the longest in the world with a span length of 233.8m (world record of 230m) and PSC post-tensioned box girder completely made up of high-performance concrete. The alignment takes off from existing junction point near I Labs (end of Inorbit mall) and deflects to the left near parking area of Telangana Tourism Department, crosses over the DurgamCheruvu lake, and deflect again to the left near lake's walking track. The bridge passes along the hillock boundary and finally deflects to the right and meets the Road No 45 before the Ambedkar University's main entrance. The bridge has been tested and approved by the German lab ensuring the highest safety standards. As many as 26 cables (13 on either side of the bridge) and 53 segments have been installed. The overpass bridge will enthral the public with its multi-coloured lighting with various themes to suit for various festivities and occasions. Its lightning is operated through an in built software. 40,000 LED bulbs would be installed on the 26 stables of the bridge. The cables shine bright in the combination of purple, green and white.