Indore: The iconic 73-year-old Shastri Bridge is set for a comprehensive modernization as Railways has sanctioned Rs 139 crore to transform it into a high-capacity four-lane corridor.
The overhaul comes six months after a 5x6-ft section of the bridge's footpath caved in. An inspection by Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and SGSITS experts later found that extensive rat infestation had damaged the footpath and hollowed out the bridge's foundation too.
The rodent population had surged due to an unauthorized tea and snacks stall operating adjacent to the bridge. The IMC subsequently removed the encroachment, completed emergency reinforcement, and submitted an engineering review that paved the way for the total replacement of the aging structure.
The newly-sanctioned design features a modern four-lane configuration with a 72-meter camel-back superstructure supported by pre-stressed concrete (PSC) girders and a full viaduct arrangement, an official press release stated.
This layout is designed to handle modern traffic loads and ease gridlocks in central Indore. To sustain local circulation and provide technical maintenance access, six-meter-wide service roads will be constructed on both sides beneath the elevated deck. Beyond the bridge structure, the project budget covers extensive civil utility realignments. Intersecting municipal sewer networks will be relocated and upgraded with high-capacity drainage pipelines. Concurrently, regional electrical infrastructure along the railway yard will undergo complete renewal, including the repositioning of utility lines and the installation of integrated public street lighting systems.
Oldest railway flyover in Central India
According to local historian Zafar Ansari, Shastri Bridge is one of the oldest railway flyovers constructed in Central India. Built over two-and-a-half years by local engineers and contractors, the bridge served as an infrastructural lifeline for Indore's expansion. It was officially inaugurated on January 12, 1953, by the then Union transport minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
