PM Modi inaugurates India's first Vertical-Lift sea bridge in TN

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated India’s first vertical lift sea bridge built across the Palk Strait in Rameswaram, replacing the century-old Pamban Bridge.

Showcasing the technical marvel and ingenuity, the bridge, located in Ramanathapuram district, connects Rameswaram Island with Mandapam on the mainland, NDTV reported.

The original Pamban Bridge, built in 1914 by British engineers, which worked using manually operated Scherzer's span, allowed ship movement when its 61-metre long truss was lifted up to 81 degrees.

Following safety concerns, the train traffic on the bridge has been stopped.

The 2.07 kilometres long new Pamban Bridge, featuring a 72.5-metre navigational span that can be vertically lifted to 17 metres for safe ship movement, is compared to well-known similar bridges such as the Golden Gate Bridge in the USA, Tower Bridge in the UK, and the Oresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden.

The bridge’s substructure can support two railway tracks allowing trains to speed up to 80 kmph, connecting Pamban (Rameswaram) Island with Mandapam on the mainland.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Railways, constructed the bridge at a cost of nearly Rs 550 crore offering a lifespan of 100 years alongside it comes with a special technology to avoid the need for frequent maintenance.

The bridge’s steel reinforcement is coated with high-grade protective paint alongside polysiloxane coating to withstand harsh marine environment.

It is reported that the new bridge stands 3 metres taller than the old one, allowing better sea clearance for maritime traffic.