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Pamban Bridge: Pamban Bridge Is A Railway Bridge Which Connects The
Pamban Bridge: Pamban Bridge Is A Railway Bridge Which Connects The
Pamban Bridge: Pamban Bridge Is A Railway Bridge Which Connects The
91″E
Pamban Bridge
Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge which connects the
Pamban Bridge
town of Mandapam in mainland India with Pamban
Island, and Rameswaram. Opened on 24 February
1914,[1] it was India's first sea bridge, and was the
longest sea bridge in India until the opening of the
Bandra-Worli Sea Link in 2010. The rail bridge is, for
the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete
piers, but has a double-leaf bascule section midway,
which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through.
Until 1988, the Pamban bridge was the only surface
transport that connected Tamil Nadu's island of
Rameswaram to the mainland. In December 2018, the
Pamban bridge
bascule of this bridge was damaged, which suspended
transportation on the bridge for 3 months. Rail Coordinates 9°16′57.25″N 79°12′5.91″E
movement was again restored on 27 February 2019. Carries Rail
In 1988, a road bridge was also constructed parallel to Locale Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu,
the rail bridge. This road bridge is also known as Annai India
Indira Gandhi Road Bridge. The Annai Indira Gandhi Owner Indian Railways
Road Bridge connects the National Highway (NH 49)
Characteristics
with the Rameswaram island. It stands on the Palk Strait
and between the shores of Mandapam (a place on the Total length 6,776 feet (2,065 m)
Indian mainland) and Pamban (one of the fishermen No. of spans 144
town in Rameswaram island). It was inaugurated by
Rail characteristics
former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 2 October
1988.[2] This 2.345 km long bridge took close to 14 No. of tracks 1
years to be completed. Track gauge broad gauge
History
Construction 1911
Contents start
History Construction 1914
Location end
Maintenance
Railway
Road
Accidents
Cultural references
See also
References
External links
History
This bridge was built in 1914 to connect Rameshwaram Island with
mainland India.[3]
Design
The railway bridge is located 12.5 metres (41 ft) above sea level
and is 6,776 ft (2,065 m) long.[5] The bridge consists of 143 piers
and has a double-leaf bascule section with a Scherzer rolling type
lift span that can be raised to let ships pass. Each half of the lifting
span weighs 415 tonnes (457 tons).[6] The two leaves of the bridge
are opened manually using levers.[5]
Maintenance
The bridge was damaged during the 1964 Rameswaram cyclone and required repair work.[11]
Strengthening work was carried out on the bridge under the supervision of E. Sreedharan in 2009 to enable
it to carry goods trains.[12][13] On 13 January 2013, the bridge required repair work to the piers after
suffering minor damage from a naval barge.[14][15] In 2016, the Ministry of Railways sanctioned ₹25 crore
(US$3.3 million) to replace the existing 65.23 metres (214.0 ft) long rolling type span with a 66 metres
(217 ft) long single truss span which could be opened automatically.[16] All train movement was stopped
from 5 December 2018 when a fissure was noticed on 4 December 2018.[17]
Road
The construction works of Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge was
commenced on 17 November 1974 by the Indian Highway
department and contracted to M/S Neelakandan Brothers Engs,
Madras.
After the 1978 cyclone the work was carried out slowly,
and few years later the contract was given to the New Gammon
India Ltd. The Government sanctioned ₹16.6514 crore by 1986.
The work was completed in 1988.[2]
Cultural references
The national award winning Tamil movie Kannathil Muthamittal (2002) was filmed at the
Pamban Bridge.[21]
Parts of the Bollywood movie Chennai Express (2013) were filmed at the Pamban
Bridge.[21]
See also
Mahatma Gandhi Setu
Vikhroli Koparkhairane Link Road
Bandra–Worli Sea Link
List of longest bridges in the world
List of longest bridges above water in India
References
1. "Pamban Bridge, Application Pamban Bridge" (http://www.unisteelsengg.com/application-du
plex-steel-pamban-bridge.html). My Rameswaram. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
2. "Pamban Road Bridge: Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge" (http://myrameswaram.com/pamban-roa
d-bridge). 2017.
3. "Pamban bridge: 10 awesome facts about India's first sea bridge - Pamban bridge: India's
first sea bridge" (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infrastructure/pamban-bridge-10-awe
some-facts-about-indias-first-sea-bridge/will-turn-100-in-february-2014/slideshow/25683811.
cms).
4. "Pamban Bridge, Pamban Railway Bridge" (http://myrameswaram.com/pamban-railway-brid
ge). My Rameswaram. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
5. T.E., Raja Simhan (21 November 2003). "Pamban Bridge to be pulled down for gauge
conversion" (http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2003/11/21/stories/2003112101991700.ht
m). The Hindu. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
6. Sri Raman, Papri (11 August 2007). "Bridge of memories – and to Rameswaram – reopens"
(https://web.archive.org/web/20131227080842/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/br
idge-of-memories-and-to-rameswaram-reopens/article1-241808.aspx). Hindustan Times.
Archived from the original (http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bridge-of-memories-a
nd-to-rameswaram-reopens/article1-241808.aspx) on 27 December 2013.
7. "Pamban bridge: 10 awesome facts about India's first sea bridge" (http://economictimes.indi
atimes.com/slideshows/infrastructure/pamban-bridge-10-awesome-facts-about-indias-first-s
ea-bridge/commissioned-on-february-24-1914/slideshow/25683764.cms). The Economic
Times.
8. Lalvani, Kartar (2016). The Making of India: The Untold Story of British Enterprise.
Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4729-2483-4.
9. "Train Services from Rameswaram to Mandapam Suspended due to Crack in Pamban
Bridge" (https://press108.online/india/train-services-from-rameswaram-to-mandapam-suspe
nded-due-to-crack-in-pamban-bridge/). Press108. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 1 March
2019.
10. "Ministry of Railways confirms New Bridge in Pamban" (https://press108.online/india/ministr
y-of-railways-confirms-new-bridge-in-pamban/). Press108. 25 December 2018. Retrieved
1 March 2019.
11. The Story of The Deities and The Temples in Southern Indian Peninsula. Trilochan Dash.
p. 178.
12. "Delhi's Subway Builder" (https://www.forbes.com/global/2009/0511/026-india-delhi-subway
-builder.html). Forbes. 1 May 2009.
13. "Strengthening of Pamban Railway Bridge" (http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/article51
9853.ece). The Hindu. 17 July 2010.
14. "Ship collides into century-old rail bridge" (http://www.ndtv.com/article/south/barge-collides-i
nto-century-old-rail-bridge-near-tamil-nadu-coast-316687). NDTV. 13 January 2013.
15. "Repair work on Pamban bridge fast progressing" (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/t
amil-nadu/repair-work-on-pamban-bridge-fast-progressing/article4310384.ece). The Hindu.
16 January 2013.
16. "Principal Chief Engineer inspects Pamban rail bridge" (http://www.thehindu.com/news/natio
nal/tamil-nadu/principal-chief-engineer-inspects-pamban-rail-bridge/article8283545.ece).
The Hindu. 26 February 2016.
17. "Trains to Rameswaram cancelled due to repair work on Pamban" (https://timesofindia.indiat
imes.com/city/chennai/trains-to-rameswaram-cancelled-due-to-repair-work-on-pamban-bridg
e/articleshow/66956514.cms). The Times of India. 5 December 2018.
18. Jethwa, Raja Pawan (2007). "Section II: Mileage wise available Details of Railway lines
laid". Shree Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj: A brief History & Glory of our fore-fathers. pp. 63–
70.
19. Jaishankar, C (17 July 2006). "Their sentiment to metre gauge train is unfathomable" (https://
web.archive.org/web/20071027141816/http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/17/stories/20060717
05960300.htm). The Hindu. Archived from the original (http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/17/sto
ries/2006071705960300.htm) on 27 October 2007.
20. Jaishankar, C. (24 December 2005). "Memory of the disaster still lingers" (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20070105131113/http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/24/stories/2005122405580500.h
tm). The Hindu. Archived from the original (http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/24/stories/200512
2405580500.htm) on 5 January 2007.
21. "Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge in Rameswaram" (https://www.makemytrip.com/travel-guide/ra
meswaram/annai-indira-gandhi-bridge-landmarks.html). Make My Trip.
External links
Pamban Bridge, Ramanathapuram, official site (https://ramanathapuram.nic.in/tourist-place/
pamban-bridge/)
Pamban Bridge (http://www.pambanbridge.com/)