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The Mallige Line, which includes an eight-kilometre elevated section between Hebbal and Yeshwantpur, will require 450 U-girders.
K-RIDE aims to complete the Mallige Line by December 2026. (Photo: Deccan Herald)
K-RIDE has achieved a major milestone with the launch of India’s longest 31-metre-long single-span precast U-girder on the Mallige Line of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP).
According to Deccan Herald, the U-girder, made at Gollahalli in January 2024, was launched on Tuesday night between 9.45 pm and 10 pm at Yeshwantpur. This forms part of the construction work on the Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavara line. K-RIDE, the government agency behind the 149-km BSRP, is overseeing this ambitious project.
U-girders are U-shaped, pre-tensioned structures used in rail-based public transport systems. These girders save time and enhance quality by reducing the need for multiple foundations and piers due to their extended length. While metro projects typically use 28-metre-long U-girders, the BSRP is setting a new benchmark with these longer spans.
Each U-girder weighs 178 tonnes and requires 69.5 cubic metres of M60-grade concrete. After being cast in the yard, they are transported to the construction site and lifted into place using high-capacity cranes.
Unlike box girders, which consist of multiple segments, a single U-girder is enough to span between two piers, allowing faster construction. A U-girder can be installed in one night, while a box girder requires six to seven days to build.
K-RIDE plans to launch 450 U-girders on the Mallige Line’s elevated section, which spans 8 kilometres between Hebbal and Yeshwantpur. So far, nearly 60 U-girders have been cast. The Mallige Line is expected to be completed by December 2026.
