Engineering marvel: A train passes over a low height subway in Visakhapatnam. It was completed in four hours using pre-cast reinforced cement concrete technology by the East Coast Railway on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: K.R. DEEPAK more-in A time-lapse video recently telecasted by television channels showed Railways constructing a subway within a record time of four-and-a-half hours. The Limited Height Subway (LHS), was constructed between Kothavalasa-Pendurti line in Waltair division of East Coast Railway on April 26, 2017. The LHS project was sanctioned in April last year, to remove the manned level crossing no. 484 in between Kothavalasa and Pendurti, where four railway lines pass through. The construction involved the use of base slabs and pre-fabricated boxes measuring 1.5m X 4.65 m X 3.65 m. As many as 16 heavy duty excavators, three heavy duty cranes, five tippers, 1,000 sandbags, four hydra machines, heavyweight jacks and 300 workforces were deployed to complete the project. The passage of trains via Rammurthypanthulapeta was blocked only for 3.5 hours. "Just after starting the block, the track was removed with the help of cranes and earthwork started from both sides. Simultaneously, the shifting of boxes and plate was done. After reaching the centre, the surface preparation was carried out and base slabs and pre-fabricated boxes were placed using heavy duty cranes. "While the earthwork was in progress, the boxes were lifted from both sides and placed at the requisite location. The placement of 20 boxes took one hour; for placing of base slabs after surface preparation and linking of tracks, it took 1.5 hours and the total block was completed in 4.5 hours," a statement from the East Coast Railway said. The manned level crossing was completely closed in the next 45 days after the approach road was made. The Waltair Division has completed construction of 17 LHS during 2017-18 fiscal.

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