India’s multi-span modular bridge: India has made a big achievement in infrastructure development as Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) finished building the country’s first-ever multi-span double lane modular bridge. This new steel bridge is 280 feet long, with two spans of 140 feet each, and is located at KM 72.625 on the Phobrang–Marshimik-La–Hot-Spring Road in Ladakh. This area is very far and tough to reach, but it is also very important for India’s defense and transport system.
This bridge was built and ready in only 20 days, which is a huge success because Ladakh has extreme weather, freezing cold, and is at a very high altitude. Also, getting materials and equipment there is not easy.
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But GRSE managed to complete everything fast and handed over the bridge officially to Project Himank of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on 10 July 2025. The bridge is 7.5 meters wide, so it can handle two-way traffic without problems. It meets all the rules set by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and is strong enough to take up to 100 MT weight if it’s wheeled and 70 MT if it’s tracked reported Bhaskar English. This strength is under IRC 70R Load Class.
The bridge is made of high-tensile Grade E-410 steel, which is very strong, and it is also galvanized so it can last longer. Its smart modular design makes it easier to carry and fix quickly. Usually, bridges like this can take 30 to 45 days to install, but GRSE did it in just 20. That shows how skilled and efficient the team was. This whole effort also supports India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat program, which is about making and using things in India itself.
GRSE and BRO working together
This project is one more step in the long working relationship between GRSE and BRO. They already have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed, and under that GRSE has supplied 56 modular bridges across different parts of India. Back in August 2022, GRSE also became the only company in India to get the Green Channel Certification from the Indian Army for their Portable Steel Bridges, which are like the Bailey type bridges.
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By now GRSE has given more than 5,900 steel bridges to the Indian Army, BRO, NHIDCL, state PWDs, and other government offices. Not only that, but the company has also sent these bridges to other countries like Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. In the beginning, those bridges were mainly used for disaster relief, but now other countries are using them for regular roads and even for defense work.
