New Pamban Bridge: Here's how India's first vertical sea bridge will look like
The new bridge will allow trains to go faster, carry more weight, and boost traffic volume between Pamban and Rameswaram.
FollowRailway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted photos of the new Pamban bridge in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday. This is India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge, which will open in March of next year. The new 2-kilometre-long bridge will connect the Arabian Sea island of Rameswaram to the mainland, replacing the present 104-year-old structure.
The bridge will be 63 meters long and will raise vertically to enable small ships access. The new bridge will allow trains to go faster, carry more weight, and boost traffic volume between Pamban and Rameswaram. The whole bridge, including the navigational span, will be constructed with the railroads' electrification plan in mind.
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Previously, the Ministry of Railways posted some images of the new Pamban bridge on Twitter. The ministry described it as an engineering wonder, saying, "This dual-track state-of-the-art bridge will be the country's first vertical lift railway sea bridge and is anticipated to be finished by March 2022." The Railway Vikas Nigam Limited-built New Pamban Bridge will be India's first Vertical Lift Rail Sea Bridge. It is being built alongside the old railway bridge.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the foundation stone in March, work began on November 9, 2019. Railways expect that the new bridge, which is being built at the cost of Rs. 250 crore would allow the national transporter to run trains at more incredible speeds, carry more weight, and boost traffic volume.
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The bridge will have 101 piers and will be three metres taller than the current one, allowing boats to pass with better navigational air clearance. The current Pamban bridge was India's first sea bridge, opening in 1914. Its construction took three years, and it had the distinction of being India's longest sea bridge until the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai, Maharashtra, opened in 2010.
