A project to build a new 2km vertical lift rail bridge across the sea in Tamil Nadu has started launching its lift span.
Pamban Bridge spans the channel between mainland India and Pamban Island. Southern Railways is building the new bridge to replace a 1914 crossing with a manually opened navigational span.
The new bridge will be 3m higher than the old. It has 100 spans in the sea. The substructure, which is now complete, has been built to accommodate two tracks, although the superstructure is for one track.
The 72.5m navigational span can be raised automatically to 17m to allow passage of vessels under the bridge. It has provision for two tracks and is presently being launched, with 200m achieved out of 428m.
Southern Railways expects to complete the Pamban Bridge by the end of 2024.
The old Pamban Bridge was India’s first sea bridge. Located in an area that is subject to cyclones, the crossing has became corroded in recent years. Speed restrictions were put in place in 2020 and the Government of India announced that a new railway bridge would be constructed parallel to the old bridge, which was then closed to rail traffic in February 2023.
