| Work Detail |
The new Pamban railway sea bridge being built to connect Mandapam town on the mainland with Rameshwaram on the Pamban Island, Tamil Nadu, may not be ready by November, 2023. The bridge has been under construction since 2019.
After missing its earlier deadline of March 2023, which was later extended to July, efforts are on to finish the work by November. The layout comprises 99 horizontal spans of 18.3 mtrs. and one span of 72.5 mtrs. along the length of the bridge. The latter which is a lift-span or a movable part of the bridge which will rise and let ships pass, has been assembled at the site and is yet to be erected.
Of the 99 spans, 73 have been laid and tracks on these spans have been laid as well. Notably, the new bridge is being built over a geographically challenging terrain including a corrosive marine environment, and a high-wind velocity zone.
The 2.05-km bridge is being built by Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) with Rs 545 crore outlay. The new bridge will replace the old Pamban bridge, where the rail traffic on the old bridge had permanently stopped owing to safety reasons.
Rameswaram, in South India which is also one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites along with Badrinath in the north, Dwarka in the west, and Puri in the east. |
