The Scherzer’s span of the 105-year-old Pamban rail bridge, which remained closed for a month due to safety reasons, was lifted on Friday to pave way for barges and boats in the Pamban channel, ahead of the cyclonic threat of ‘Fani cyclone’.
As the Pamban port authorities hoisted cyclone warning signal 1, six vessels, berthed in the south side of the bridge and one vessel in the north side, crossed the channel when the span was lifted as per schedule, officials said.
The six vessels, heading towards Chennai, were, however, anchored in the deep sea, about five nautical miles away from the bridge in view of the cyclone threat.
While the vessel from north was allowed to proceed to its destination in Kochi, the six vessels were anchored as a precautionary measure, officials said.
The vessels could not proceed as they faced the danger of getting caught in the storm while nearing Chennai. “The vessels were berthed at a safe distance and they would not pose any threat to the rail bridge when the cyclone crossed the coast,” officials said.