On the occasion of Ram Navami, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, the New Pamban Bridge, on Sunday. Along with the opening, PM Modi also launched the Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) rail service, which will improve regional connectivity.
After his three-day state visit to Sri Lanka, the PM travelled to Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. The freshly constructed Pamban Bridge, an engineering marvel, connects Rameswaram to the mainland and provides an uninterrupted rail link.
The structure spans 2.08 km and has 99 spans, including a 72.5-meter vertical lift span that can be lifted to 17 meters to allow ships to pass underneath it. The bridge costs over ₹550 crore and features stainless steel strengthening, high-quality protective coatings, and fully welded joints to ensure longevity and minimal maintenance.
The bridge is future-ready, with two rail tracks that will allow it to accommodate expanding traffic demands. A specialised polysiloxane coating protects it from corrosion and makes it resistant to extreme sea conditions.
The original Pamban Bridge, built in 1914 by British engineers, lasted nearly a century. However, due to environmental degradation and increased transportation demand, the government approved a successor in 2019.
