The new Pamban bridge: 5 things to know about this engineering marvel

For many, a journey over the Pamban bridge, which connects the Pamban Island (Rameshwaram island) in Tamil Nadu to the Indian mainland, is a bucket-list item. Besides tourists, the bridge over sea caters to devotees who seek a pilgrimage to Rameshwaram Temple and Dhanushkodi.

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The existing bridge is over 100 years old. One of the longest sea bridges in the country, the 6,700-foot structure was constructed by the British in 1914 to bolster trade relations with Sri Lanka. The bridge is a single-line, non-electrified section over which a train can pass can run at a maximum speed of just 10 kmph. But this speed would change drastically when the new Pamban Bridge, which the Railways terms an engineering marvel, gets operationalised.

Being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 560 crore, the new Pamban bridge is expected to be completed by December this year. If not for the Coronavirus pandemic, the bridge would have been operationalised by September last year

Let's examine some of the interesting aspects of the new Pamban bridge:

* The two-km long bridge will be 3 metres higher than the existing bridge.

* The new bridge will be India's first vertical lift sea bridge that will allow big ships to pass through. The vertical lift of the bridge section, which is being developed by the Railway Vikas Nigam Limited, will be 22 metres

* The Railways has announced that the new bridge will be way more advanced and technologically-robust that the over 100-year-old bridge already in service.

* The advancements will ensure that the trains, which currently operate at a maximum speed of just 10 kmph will be able to cross the two-kilometre distance at over 80 kmph. 

* Besides, the new bridge will have a double-line railway track that will be electrified and will also cater to freight trains.

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