Gurgaon: The elevated structure of the Gurgaon Metro project began taking shape late on Friday night with the lifting and placement of its first 160-tonne U-girder near Cyber Park. The large precast girders will form the elevated structure on which the metro tracks will eventually be laid. More than 1,600 such U-girders are planned along the project.A girder is the horizontal load-bearing structure of an elevated viaduct, acting as the bridge-like span that directly connects the vertical pillars or piers and serves as the foundation on which tracks can be laid. A U-girder is preferred for rapid construction. Its base functions as the track slab while its integrated walls act as built-in derailment retainers, acoustic sound barriers and maintenance or evacuation walkways.On Friday, the girder was placed between piers P2/26 and P2/27 and the state industry and commerce minister Rao Narbir Singh was present for the occasion.A Gurgaon Metro Rail Limited (GMRL) official said girder launching is one of the most challenging construction activities because the structures have to be precast, transported through the city and then precisely positioned between the piers using heavy-duty cranes. Each U-girder is around 28 m long, 5 m wide and weighs about 160 tonnes. It contains nearly 16 tonnes of steel and around 60 cubic metres of M-60 grade concrete. With two U-girders required for each span, GMRL plans to launch them in pairs at night.Rao Narbir Singh said the first U-girder was an important step towards improving Gurgaon’s connectivity. “Metro expansion is a priority for the Haryana govt and will provide residents with a faster and more reliable public transport option as the city continues to expand,” he said.The launch comes as Phase 1 of the project has achieved around 32% progress in civil works, while the overall project has crossed 10% completion, a GMRL official said. It is significant amid concerns over delays in executing the project. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the state govt about the slow progress of the city’s metro connectivity. He asked the Haryana chief secretary to take “ownership” of the project and ensure its speedy execution.GMRL officials said the initial delay was partly linked to the time taken to establish the organisation. The project was cleared by the Union Cabinet in June 2023, while GMRL came into existence in Feb 2024. Key leadership positions remained vacant until Feb the next year. Although the Phase 1 construction contract was awarded in Aug last year, work began only in Nov.The official said the progress of the metro has improved since GMRL became fully operational. Most of the required govt land has been cleared by the state, while a small forest-related clearance is expected to be resolved shortly.The metro agency is also preparing to move ahead with Phase 2. Tender documents have been prepared, but queries were raised by the chief minister’s office. “We are hopeful that the tender can be floated by Sept,” the official said.The official expressed confidence that Phase 1 would meet its targeted completion timeline of 2028.
