Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday to inaugurate construction of several projects, including the Chenab Bridge, the world's tallest single-arch railway bridge to date. The opening of the bridge, which is taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, marks the successful completion of what has been described as the greatest civil engineering challenge in India's recent history.
Approved in 2003 and contracted in 2008, after many concerns about safety and stability, the single arch bridge over the Chenab River in J&K has passed all mandatory tests and will remain in service for 20 years. After a long wait, it has carved its name in the history of Indian railways. Here's everything you need to know about India's latest feat in civil engineering.
- This arch bridge is built between Bakkal and Kauri in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, forming an important link from Katra to Banihal.
- The tower stands 1,178 feet above the riverbed, making it 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower, the tourist icon of Paris.
- The bridge is part of the Rs 35,000-crore Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which aims to improve connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir by providing connectivity in complex terrain and weather conditions. is part of.
- However, the Chenab Bridge alone cost around Rs 14,000 crore.
- According to a video released by Indian Railways, Chenab Bridge Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat It aims to connect Kashmir with other states in the country.
- Tests to ensure the stability and safety of the world's tallest bridge include high-velocity wind tests, extreme temperature tests, earthquake-prone tests, and the hydrological effects of rising water levels.
- The bridge is expected to have a lifespan of approximately 120 years.
- It can withstand winds of up to 260km/h.
- Another video posted by Northern Railway said the bridge has a 2,015km-long access road and was designed with earthquake resistance in mind.
- Engineers took three years to construct the arches of the bridge using two huge cable cranes installed on either side of the Chenab river, at the Kauri and Bakkal ends.
- The railway line will also be useful for the armed forces deployed in this geographically important region and will also help promote tourism, the Indian Railways video said.
- For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the bridge was completed after a long wait of 20 years as it had missed several deadlines since it was first approved in 2003.
- Once the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project is fully operational, the Vande Bharat Metro will run between Jammu and Srinagar.
PM Modi plans to launch several other projects
While Chenab Bridge may be the center of attraction on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi is expected to inaugurate several other projects worth Rs 32,000 crore across the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.
Five years after laying the foundation stone for AIIMS Jammu in 2019, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the facility on Tuesday. Additionally, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for a new terminal building and common use facility oil storage facility at Jammu Airport. To further boost the state, the Chief Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate several projects for urban and infrastructure development.
Projects launched by the Prime Minister to strengthen education in the country include Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bhilai, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Tirupati, and Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IITDM). , Kurnool, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Jammu, Indian Institute of Skills (IKS), Kanpur, etc.
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Date first uploaded: February 20, 2024, 09:18 IST
