Another Railway Bridge to Be Built Across Krishna River in Vijayawada

Indian Railways is planning to construct another railway bridge across the Krishna River near Vijayawada to improve rail connectivity and reduce congestion. The proposed bridge will come up between Vijayawada and Seethanagaram, along the Vijayawada Junction–Krishna Canal Junction section. It is part of the fourth railway line project connecting Ballarsh, Kazipet, Vijayawada and Gudur. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared for the 293-km fourth line between Vijayawada and Gudur at an estimated cost of Rs. 5,858 crore and submitted to the Railway Board. The proposed bridge will stretch approximately 1.30 km across the Krishna River. Currently, two railway bridges operate between Vijayawada and Seethanagaram, one carrying double lines and the other a single line. The new bridge will be constructed alongside them.

The additional bridge is expected to ease train congestion and eliminate waiting time for trains arriving from Tenali and Guntur towards Krishna Canal Junction. It will also facilitate smoother movement of goods trains travelling from northern states towards Tamil Nadu via Vijayawada. Meanwhile, two other railway bridge projects across the Krishna River are also being planned. One will be constructed near Amaravati as part of the Errupalem–Amaravati–Namburu railway line, for which tenders have already been invited. Another bridge is proposed near Chodavaram as part of a 36.8-km double-line bypass connecting Indupalli on the Gudivada–Vijayawada route with Duggirala on the Vijayawada–Tenali route. The bypass will allow freight trains travelling between Visakhapatnam and Chennai to avoid entering Vijayawada Railway Station. A DPR for the bypass and bridge, estimated at Rs. 3,197 crore, has been submitted to the Railway Board, and approval is expected soon.