World`s highest railway bridge, taller than Eiffel Tower, nearing completion in J&K

Srinagar: The construction of the world's highest railway bridge across the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district is nearing completion. The Rs 1,250-crore bridge, which is 359 metres above the Chenab river bed, will be 35 metres taller than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The iconic arch-bridge will be able to withstand up to 8 magnitude earthquakes and high-intensity blasts. 

The Indian Railways aims to complete the construction of the bridge by May 2019. The work on installing the main arch of the bridge began on November 5, 2017.

The bridge, a part of the Udhampur-Reasi-AnantnagSrinagar-Baramulla railway project, can withstand a blast of 30 kg of explosives.

The overall length of the bridge is 1,315 metres, having 17 spans, of which the main steel arch portion across the Chenab river is of 476 metres in length and its height is 359 metres above the river bed.

The project work is being carried out by AFCONS Construction Company through Konkan Railway.

Officials overseeing the project on the ground said that more than 1,300 workers and 300 engineers have been working round-the-clock to complete the bridge in time.

The construction work started in 2004, but the work was briefly stopped in 2008-09 in view of the safety of rail passengers due to frequent high-velocity winds in the area.

(With inputs from agencies)