Nagpur: In a massive engineering and logistics operations currently unfolding in the city, MahaMetro has begun transporting gigantic 120 tonnes precast pier arms — each weighing nearly as much as three empty Boeing 737 aircraft — across a 52km stretch for the construction of a single Metro station on the Reach-3A (Hingna) corridor. Each station on the corridor requires 20 such giant pier arms — 10 each at concourse and platform levels — while a total of 140 pier arms will be installed across seven stations.The first lifting operation commenced late Saturday night and continued till Sunday morning at the proposed Hingna Mount View Metro station on the 6.4km-long Reach-3A section between Lokmanya Nagar and Hingna. At the station location, the 120 tonnes structures are lifted using an 800-metric-ton crane and placed on either side of the central pier. The structures are later connected through stitch concrete and post-tensioning methods to form the station framework. The use of precast pier arms has been planned to minimise traffic disruption and accelerate station construction work in dense urban stretches.The giant precast pier arms are being manufactured at MahaMetro's Khairi casting yard, where each arm undergoes a seven-day casting cycle involving reinforcement work, placement of post-tensioning ducts, casting and de-shuttering. Once ready, the structures are loaded onto specially designed super-heavy hauler trailers attached to puller vehicles before beginning their 52km journey to station sites.Sources said the massive concrete structures are being transported primarily through the Outer Ring Road corridor at a maximum speed of 10kmph, while most of the lifting and installation work is being carried out during night hours to minimise traffic disruption.The Reach-3A section also includes a special 120-metre span over the Vena river in Hingna, one of the major engineering features of the project. Sources stated that nearly 50% of the viaduct work on the corridor has already been completed, while civil works are targeted for completion by December 2027. The corridor is expected to improve connectivity to educational institutions, hospitals, and residential areas.