Complete Details About First Vertical-Lift Sea Bridge In India

Vertical-Lift Sea Bridge: On the occasion of Ram Navami, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the nation’s first vertical-lift sea bridge, the New Pamban Bridge, in Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

PM Modi also signaled the start of the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train and a Coast Guard ship that went beneath the bridge.After a three-day trip to Sri Lanka, PM Modi arrived in Tamil Nadu, where he also laid the foundation stone for several rail and road projects totaling more than Rs 8,300 crore and conducted a puja at the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram. The 2.07-kilometer bridge, which spans the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu, is a monument to India’s architectural expertise and innovative infrastructure development, according to the Ministry of Railways.

The bridge, which links Mandapam on the mainland with Rameswaram Island, is situated in the Ramanathapuram district. The 72.5-meter navigational span of the bridge, which was constructed at a cost of more than Rs 700 crore by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Railways, can be vertically raised to 17 meters, enabling ships to sail beneath it without risk.

Take A Look At Visuals:

आज रामनवमी के पावन अवसर पर श्रीलंका से वापस आते समय आकाश से रामसेतु के दिव्य दर्शन हुए। ईश्वरीय संयोग से मैं जिस समय रामसेतु के दर्शन कर रहा था, उसी समय मुझे अयोध्या में रामलला के सूर्य तिलक के दर्शन का भी सौभाग्य मिला। मेरी प्रार्थना है, हम सभी पर प्रभु श्रीराम की कृपा बनी रहे। pic.twitter.com/trG5fgfv5f

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2025

New Pamban Bridge Blends Modern Engineering:

Although it only has one line at the moment, the bridge can accommodate two railway lines. It is designed to manage more rail traffic and larger loads, and it is approved for train speeds of up to 80 kmph. A government statement estimates that the new bridge will last for 100 years. In addition to using fully welded connections, premium protective paint, polysiloxane coating, and stainless steel reinforcing to prevent corrosion in the hostile sea environment, it was built using unique engineering processes that minimize the need for frequent maintenance.

Historic Legacy Mix With Modern Engineering:

Because of its contemporary design and technology, the Pamban Bridge is being compared to well-known bridges such as the Oresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden, the Golden Gate Bridge in the USA, and the Tower Bridge in the UK. British engineers constructed the historic Pamban Bridge in 1914. It made use of a Scherzer’s span, a kind of rolling lift bridge, that was manually operated. Because of safety concerns, the pass over was closed to train traffic.