The mega track renewal maintenance work on the 3 Km long bridge involved laying of track on the 06 spans with PSC deck slabs, wherein the existing railway track along with sleepers which served for a few decades was to be removed and replaced with a fresh set of pre-fit lengths of rail track along with sleepers. The fully automated and mechanised process which required minimal physical labour was carried out by using the modern PQRS (Plasser Quick Relating System) cranes in the least possible time. Deep screening of the track length, wherein comprehensive cleaning of the ballast stones beneath the track to segregate accumulated wastes such as mud, broken pieces of stones etc., needs to be carried out, was found a vital component of the track maintenance process.

The work presented huge challenges on account of the technical aspects associated with the engineering of the bridge, which handles rail traffic on the lower deck and road traffic on the upper deck. All 6 spans of deck slabs (beam like support between 2 piers on either side) are on a sensitive 6 degree curve, making it tough to handle maintenance tasks within limited time. Moreover, working space on the bridge for the rail personnel involved in the job was insufficient, requiring them to make adjustments and accommodate co-workers in completing the task. Yet another huge obstacle to overcome was the lack of required space to provide for auxiliary track (temporarily laid supplementary track) to enable movement of PQRS cranes for undertaking the work. The problem concerning lack of space for storing 8,000 ballast (stone) bags required for the work, was overcome by setting up a separate iron plate type platform to hold the bags before being utilised to fill the underbelly of the track and sleeper. 

The work was carried out with utmost precautions at every stage. At first, the existing track length was removed using the PQRS machines. Later, the entire slab was swept to check for any cracks. The low height brick walls, constructed at the ends of the slabs on both sides for curing during casting of these slabs, were removed so as to increase the efficiency of the drainage system. The slab strength was also ensured by a physical check using the rebound hammer. Simultaneously, a 180 meter length of approach to the bridge was also deep screened by using JCB excavator. 

Shri Gajanan Mallya, General Manager, South Central Railway, who keenly monitored the bridge maintenance work, was highly appreciative of the team of Railway engineers and workforce of Vijayawada Division which carried out the task successfully. The General Manager complimented Shri P. Srinivas, Divisional Railway Manager, Vijayawada Division for executing the important maintenance work with precision and stressed that the work culture exhibited by railway personnel speaks volumes for the identity that Indian Railways has earned as the Nation’s lifeline.

The Rail-cum-Road Bridge with 34 spans (28 spans with steel girder and 6 spans with PSC deck slabs) across River Godavari is the 3rd longest Rail-cum-Road structure in India, next only to the Digha-Sonpur bridge across River Ganges near Patna and Bogibeel Bridge across River Brahmaputra in Assam. Built by the Braithwaite, Burn & Jessop Construction Company,  the Rail-cum-Road Bridge streamlined train movement on the vital Chennai-Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam-Howrah sector, which was earlier catered by the 1st Godavari bridge, more popularly known as the Sir Havelock Bridge, now a heritage structure. Another bridge which added to the chain later, is the pre-stressed concrete Bow String Arch shaped 3rd bridge across River Godavari at Rajahmundry, which is considered as a marvel of engineering.