New Pamban Bridge: The upcoming New Pamban Bridge in the state of Tamil Nadu is nothing but an engineering marvel! This dual-track state-of-the-art bridge is all set to become the nation’s first Vertical Lift Railway Sea Bridge. The project is likely to be completed by the month of March next year. The new bridge, which would be 2.07 kilometres long, will be a boon for devotees and pilgrims who wish to embark on a spiritual tour to Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu. The Old Pamban Bridge is said to have played a crucial role in connecting Pamban Island with mainland India. In the coming months, the Old Pamban Bridge would be replaced by the New Pamban Bridge, for which an estimated amount of Rs 280 crore is being invested.
The New Pamban Bridge, being developed by Railway Vikas Nigam Limited, will be India’s first ever Vertical Lift Rail Sea Bridge. It is being constructed parallel to the old railway bridge. This 2.07 km long new bridge is being built with the help of modern technologies. Earlier, the Railway Ministry had said that the beauty of the new bridge is that its middle portion gets lifted up to allow ships to pass through during their journey. The upcoming New Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu is expected to give a boost to tourism in this region, especially for pilgrimage purposes as every year, a large number of devotees come to visit Rameshwaram Temple and Jyotirling.
Upon construction, Indian Railways’ New Pamban Bridge, will be more than 2 kilometres long with 100 spans of 18.3 metres as well as one navigational span of 63 metres, that will move towards upside vertically, enabling the movement of ships or steamers. In the old bridge, the Scherzer span is manually operated to enable the movement of ships. While the upcoming one will be equipped with an electro-mechanical controlled system. This will be interlocked with the train control systems, providing seamless system connectivity.
