Heritage meets technology: Here's everything you need to know about the new Pamban bridge

With the construction of the new Pamban Bridge located on the northern side of the Pamban Channel in Tamil Nadu coming to an end, India is all set to get its first Vertical Lift Rail Sea Bridge. 

The existing Pamban Rail Bridge connecting Rameswaram to mainland India is 105 years old. The original bridge was built in 1914 to connect Mandapam and Rameswaram island situated in the Gulf of Mannar.

What is Vertical Lift Bridge?

A vertical lift bridge is a type of bridge that uses counterweights and cables to move an interior lift span section that remains horizontal as it is raised and lowered, similar to an elevator. This allows river traffic to pass beneath the structure.

Special Features

If everything goes as per the plan of the Union government, the new Pamban bridge will be completed by the end of next year.

Going by the sources, the vertical lift span will be built for a double track. Being developed by Indian Railways, the bridge will have 100 spans across the sea, with 99 spans being 18.3 m and one span being 72.5 m. 

The new Pamban bridge will replace the iconic old Pamban bridge. 

The 2.07 km long bridge is being constructed taking a cue from vertical lift bridges, including the Hawthorne Bridge in the US, the Ryde Bridge in Australia, and the Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas in France.

Taking to Twitter, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a stunning video of the 'New Pamban Bridge', which is being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) at a cost of Rs 535 crore.

Heritage meets technology.#PambanBridge connecting Rameswaram. pic.twitter.com/nN0evsefUV

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) December 28, 2022

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the new bridge in March 2019, and the construction began in November 2019.