Indian Railways: New Pamban bridge is 81 per cent complete

Giving an update, the Railways ministry noted that 81 per cent of the work on the bridge had been completed. As for the piling work, all 333 piles have been completed.

The Indian Railways on Tuesday shared an update on the construction of the country's first vertical lift railway sea bridge -- Pamban Bridge, which connected the mainland of India with the Rameswaram Island.

Giving an update, the Railways ministry noted that 81 per cent of the work on the bridge had been completed. As for the piling work, all 333 piles have been completed.

Besides, the Railways Ministry said that all 101 pile caps and sub-structures had been completed, and 76 out of 99 girders have thus far been launched. The foundation stone of the new sea bridge, being constructed by the Railway Vikas Nigam (RVNL) at a cost of Rs 250 crore, was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2019 in Kanyakumari. 

The new bridge will replace the present Pamban railway bridge, which is 104 years old. It is being built parallel to the present rail bridge. The bridge is expected to enhance the tourism potential of the Rameswaram region.

The Pamban Sea Bridge will feature vertical lift span technology to allow the cross-navigation of vessels. The bridge will have a 75m long central span that will allow ships to cross under the bridge. This bridge will have 100 spans of 25 metres each. Taking into account the adverse weather conditions that frequently arise in the Bay of Bengal, the latest technology, including stainless steel reinforcements for the bridge pillars, is being deployed.