Loha Pul to be revamped as new bridge to take 4 yrs to complete

New Delhi: As the proposed new railway bridge will take more than four years to be completed, Railway authority in the national capital has decided to complete the strengthening and rehabilitation of Old Yamuna Bridge, popularly known as “Loha Pul”, in the next couple of months. After completion of the strengthening and rehabilitation, the trains that are currently running between a speed limit of 10 and 30 kmph, will run between 50 and 80 kmph.

While the construction of the new bridge was sanctioned in 1997-98, work was stalled owing to lack of approval from ASI (Archaeological Survey of India).

After several modifications to the original plan, the ASI gave its approval when Railway authorities submitted that the approach to the Salimgarh Fort would be the same as before.

A senior official from northern Railways said that the new railway bridge on Yamuna was sanctioned almost two decades ago and it will take another four years to complete.

“Earlier, it was planned that once the new bridge was commissioned, the old Loha Pul will not be used for rail traffic,” he added.

With plans to abandon the old bridge after the commissioning of the new one, the Railways authority stopped maintenance of the Loha Pul.

“Non-maintenance of the old bridge for almost four years has left the structure in very poor condition. The commissioning of a new bridge will take time. Railways authority has decided to overhaul the existing Loha Pul,” said a senior northern Railway official.

Seeing the depleting condition of the old bridge, the BJP Lok Sabha member from East Delhi, Maheish Girri, had written a letter to the divisional railway manager (DRM), Delhi division of northern Railway, for its maintenance. In March 2016, on Mr Girri’s request, Railways sanctioned '10 crore for the overhaul of the Old Yamuna Bridge.

Officials told this newspaper that the repair and maintenance work of Loha Pul will be completed by October this year.

“The old structure has weakened considerably over time prompting a speed restriction of maximum 30 kmph. After completion of the repair and maintenance work over a period of six months, speed restriction will be increased to 80 kmph. The old bridge will continue in operation even after the commissioning of the new bridge,” he added.

The bridge, also known as Old Yamuna Bridge, consisted of 12 main spans of lattice type girders of 214 feet each and two spans of 46 feet each, making an overall length of 2,704 feet. Like the Naini Bridge at Allahabad, it carried a double line of railroad above a roadway. The Old Yamuna Bridge was opened for public traffic in 1867.