Construction Mirror Article detail

The new Pamban Bridge is now almost complete with the recent milestone that it achieved involving the perfect placement of the lift span girder in its rightful position. The process took weeks as it is crucial for the lift span to be placed accurately to allow the ships to pass underneath. The 72.5-meter-long lift span was put together on the Rameswaram side of the bridge, after which it slowly travelled the distance of 450 meters to be placed into position over the navigational channel. This crucial milestone moves the Rs 545 crore project nearer to its anticipated completion date of August 31. The remaining work now involves linking the 2.2 kilometers of track that will form the bridge’s full length. Once this track linking is completed, the bridge will undergo final commissioning processes to ensure its operational readiness.

The bridge is expected to enhance regional connectivity and facilitate smoother traffic flow upon completion.

The new bridge, which will feature a single railway line, is set to replace the old Pamban Rail Bridge which was originally constructed in 1914. Although designed with the capacity for an additional line in the future, the new bridge will initially operate with just one line.

Construction, which began in 2019, was initially planned for completion within two years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns caused significant delays. In December 2022, Southern Railway had to suspend train services on the old bridge due to safety concerns. As a result, trains headed to Rameswaram are currently being terminated at Mandapam railway station. According to media reports, the Southern Railway aims to open the new bridge by the end of September.