After Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the historic Chenab and Anji bridges on June 6, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya lauded engineer Madhavi Latha for her pivotal role in the infrastructure feat.
Taking to X, Surya wrote, “Her remarkable contribution to this engineering marvel inspires young minds, especially women in STEM, to lead the charge in nation-building.”
Who is Madhavi Latha?
G. Madhavi Latha is a rock engineering specialist at the Indian Institute of Science. She was roped in by the Northern Railways for the Rs 1,436 crore project. She spent 17 years building the Chenab Bridge along with scientists from premier institutes in India. Her works revolve around image-based techniques to understand the micro-topographical surface changes in geosynthetics sheared by sands and relating them to the macro level strength improvement.
Chenab Bridge – the engineering marvel
Spanning a deep gorge in Jammu’s Reasi district, the Chenab Bridge stands as the world’s tallest railway arch bridge. Stretching 1,315 metres in length with a 467-metre steel arch, it represents a remarkable feat of engineering recognised worldwide. The bridge forms a crucial part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a 272-km railway corridor designed to connect Jammu with Srinagar and Baramulla through Reasi.
The introduction of the Vande Bharat Express on this route has slashed travel time between Katra and Srinagar to under three hours. Engineered for resilience, the Chenab Bridge can endure wind speeds of up to 260 kmph and is built to last for 120 years.
With 255 km of the railway already completed, this all-weather transport link significantly reduces reliance on the frequently disrupted Srinagar-Jammu highway, ensuring uninterrupted year-round access. Strategically, it enhances India’s defence logistics by enabling the swift deployment of troops and supplies to border regions.