In a significant achievement, the world’s highest single-arch rail bridge, constructed to link disparate parts of Jammu and Kashmir, was inaugurated on Saturday (August 13, 2022). The golden joint of the world`s highest Chenab railway bridge was inaugurated today. Notably, for the first time ever since independence, Srinagar will be linked to the rest of India after the overarch deck on the world`s highest single-arch railway bridge over Chenab River will be launched. From the two ends of the Chenab River valley, the bridge superstructure on the arch was being gradually pushed, and it will eventually connect at the Center of the arch.
Standing at 359 meters above the Chenab river bed, the iconic bridge, at its highest point, will be 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Built on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, the bridge is part of the Udhampur-Reasi-Anantnag-Srinagar-Baramulla railway project.
It is being constructed by AFCONS Construction Company, having 17 spans, of which the main steel arch portion across the Chenab river is 476 meters in length and its height is 359 meters above the river bed.
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 because of the safety of rail passengers due to frequent high-velocity winds in the area.
The bridge is designed for blast load in consultation with DRDO for the first time in India. The iconic arch bridge will be able to withstand up to 8 magnitude earthquakes and can withstand a blast of 30 kg of explosives.
Once constructed, the bridge will put India on the world-map of engineering wonders across the world including Eiffel Tower and Burj Khalifa.
For the first time ever since independence, Srinagar will be linked to the rest of India after the overarch deck on the world`s highest single-arch railway bridge over Chenab River will be launched.