The Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir will be the highest railway arch bridge in the world at 476-meter long, (1,178 ft), even taller than the Millau Viaduct in France which currently holds the distinction. Chenab Bridge will have the widest span of the Indian broad gauge railway network in the country. The completion of the mega infrastructure project is slated for March this year.
“Infrastructural Marvel in Making: Indian Railways is well on track to achieve another engineering milestone with the steel arch of Chenab bridge reaching at closure position”: tweets Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal, sharing a glimpse of the world’s highest railway bridge.
Infrastructural Marvel in Making: Indian Railways is well on track to achieve another engineering milestone with the steel arch of Chenab bridge reaching at closure position.
It is all set to be the world’s highest Railway bridge 🌉 pic.twitter.com/yWS2v6exiP
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 25, 2021
The project, which is being developed by the Konkan Railway, is India’s first cable-stayed Indian Railways bridge and will be a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) section of Northern Railway in Jammu & Kashmir.
Chenab bridge (Picture credit: civil_engineers_create/instagram)
It is the first time in the world that a bridge has been designed for Blast Load in consultation with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Indian Railways for the first time use the Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing machine for inspection of welds in bridge in India.
Chenab bridge pics (Picture credit: Caeserkumar/instagram)
The bridge has been designed to bear an earthquake impact of Zone V category. The Chenab site lab has been certified by National Accreditation Board for Laboratories for testing of welded elements for the first time on Indian Railways. An extensive health monitoring and warning system will be planned for the bridge. The bridge is under construction between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi District of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chenab bridge pics (Picture credit: Caeserkumar/instagram)
The Chenab bridge is the seventh-largest arch-shaped bridge in the world as there is no support except on both sides of the riverbanks. The arch is being supported by piers and trusses, as reported by DNA.
The construction of this bridge was started in 2004, but the work was stopped in 2008-09 keeping in mind the safety of rail passengers because of the frequent high-velocity winds in the area.
(With inputs from ANI)