InQuik Completes First Modular Bridge Installation in India

The bridge was installed on the six-lane Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway, a major 710-kilometre transport corridor connecting Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The expressway is expected to reduce travel times between the two cities from approximately 14-15 hours to around 10-11 hours. The bridge project served as the first full-scale deployment of InQuik's modular bridge system in India, following a structured development process involving engineering design, local manufacturing validation, and staged on-site installation.

Engineers from InQuik and Tata Steel worked together to adapt the bridge design for Indian conditions, aligning materials, and manufacturing methods before production commenced. Manufacturing was undertaken through Sagar Business Ventures Limited at its facility in Bhubaneswar, where production lines were established and validated prior to project delivery. The first modular bridge component was installed as a validation process to verify lifting behaviour, component geometry, and construction procedures under real site conditions. Following successful validation, the project moved into full-scale construction.

One of the most technically significant aspects of the project was the construction of the bridge substructure. The installation utilised InQuik's three-part high-abutment system for the first time, creating the widest abutments delivered by the company to date. Once placed, the abutment components were filled and poured on site, forming the permanent bridge supports.

With the abutments completed, attention shifted to the bridge deck. Prefabricated deck modules were transported to site and rapidly installed, demonstrating the advantages of modular construction by significantly reducing on-site construction time compared with conventional bridge-building methods.

Following deck placement and alignment, crews completed the final concrete pour, creating a fully integrated bridge structure. The completed bridge also represents the largest bridge delivered by InQuik to date and features the tallest abutments constructed using the system, reaching almost eight metres from ground level to the top of the deck.

The project serves as a practical demonstration of how modular bridge technology can streamline infrastructure delivery by combining prefabricated steel formwork with in-situ concrete construction. InQuik's system uses pre-engineered steel formwork that acts as both the construction mould and a permanent structural component, allowing bridges to be assembled quickly while reducing the requirement for temporary works and extensive site labour.

The bridge installation follows a broader strategic partnership between Tata Steel and InQuik Group, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at bringing modular bridge technology to the Indian market. The agreement combines Tata Steel's manufacturing capability with InQuik's patented bridge technology to support faster delivery of transport infrastructure across the country.

The collaboration is intended to address infrastructure needs in both urban and regional areas by providing a scalable construction solution that can be delivered more rapidly than traditional bridge-building approaches. The technology is particularly suited to locations where difficult site conditions, limited access, or compressed construction schedules make conventional methods challenging.

The successful completion of the Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway bridge represents a major validation of the partnership and establishes a foundation for wider deployment of modular bridge systems throughout India's expanding transport network.