New Pamban Rail Bridge work likely to be completed by August 31
Critical work of positioning vertical lift span girder over navigational channel over
Installation of the vertical central span in progress at the New Rail Bridge in Pamban.
| Photo Credit: BALACHANDAR L
Placing the lift span girder of new Pamban Rail Bridge, over the navigational channel in Bay of Bengal, was completed on Saturday midnight giving hope for completion of the ₹545 crore project by August 31.
“The vertical lift span which was assembled here on Rameswaram side of the bridge has been slowly moved to its centre portion over the navigational channel,” an official of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, which is executing the project said.
The 72.5-metre-long vertical single lift span could be moved up and down to facilitate movement of ships under the bridge.
The lift had been moved inch-by-inch some 450 metres over the last few weeks.
The work to make the lift operational would be completed along with the launching of remain four girders, out of the total 100 girders, by August 31.
Three girders on Rameswaram side and one girder on Mandapam side were not launched in order to provide space for facilitating the movement of the centre span.
The new bridge with single railway line will replace the old Pamban rail bridge built in 1914. However, the new bridge has provision for second line.
The work which began in 2019 was scheduled to be completed in two years. But, the outbreak of COVID and related lockdown delayed the work.
Meanwhile, Southern Railway had to abruptly stop operation of train services on the old Pamban rail bridge in December 2022 owing to safety concerns.
The trains bound to Rameswaram are being short-terminated at Mandapam railway station.
Southern Railway has planned to commission the new bridge by last week of September. Accordingly, General Manager, R.N. Singh, has asked the railway officials to plan resumption of train services between Mandapam and Rameswaram from October 1.
He has instructed to open passenger reservation upto to Rameswaram. The officials should also ensure power supply, signalling and communication arrangements and fitness of track by September 30.
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