Arch of world’s highest railway bridge on Chenab completed

The construction of the bridge involves fabrication of 28,660 MT steel, 10 lakh cubic metre earthwork, and 66,000 cubic metre of concrete

The construction of the arch of the world’s highest railway bridge that soars 359 metres above the bed of the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir was completed on Monday

The bridge, which is 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower, is expected to be completed within a year. (HT Photo)

The Railways joined the two arms of the arch that currently stretch towards each other from both banks of the river.

The 1.3km-long bridge aims to boost connectivity to the Valley and is being built at a cost of ₹1,486 crore as a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.

The bridge, which is 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower, is expected to be completed within a year, said Northern Railway general manager Ashutosh Gangal.

“It is a historic day for the Northern Railways,” he added.

Railways minister Piyush Goyal watched the lowering of the closure segment of the arch by a cable crane through a video link from Delhi.

“This was one of the most difficult part of the bridge. This achievement is a major leap towards the completion of the 111km winding stretch from Katra to Banihal. It is arguably the biggest civil engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history,” he said.

This bridge is 1,315 metres long.

The construction of the bridge involves fabrication of 28,660 MT steel, 10 lakh cubic metre earthwork, and 66,000 cubic metre of concrete.

The sophisticated ‘Tekla’ software has been used for structural detailing and the steel is suitable for -10 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius, he said.