India's First Vertical Lift Sea Bridge Completed, PM Modi to Inaugurate on Ram Navami

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Tamil Nadu on 6 April. On the occasion of Ram Navami, at 12 noon PM Modi will inaugurate India's first vertical lift sea bridge 'New Pamban Rail Bridge'. He will flag off a train and a ship from the road bridge and oversee the operation of the bridge.

After this, at 12:45 PM, PM Modi will visit and offer prayers at the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram. At 1:30 PM, at Rameswaram itself, he will lay the foundation stone of various rail and road projects worth more than Rs 8,300 crore in Tamil Nadu and dedicate them to the nation. He will also address a public meeting on this occasion.

PM Narendra Modi in a post on social media platform X on Saturday said, "On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami on 6th April (Sunday), I am excited to be among my brothers and sisters of Tamil Nadu. The new Pamban Rail Bridge will be inaugurated. I will offer prayers at the Arulmighu Ramanathaswamy Temple. Development works worth over Rs 8300 crore will also be inaugurated or the foundation stone laid."

Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information and Publicity in Railways, said that the country has achieved many new heights in the last 10 years. Indian Railways has also set new records during this period. Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat and Namo Bharat trains have given a new developed dimension to the country. The construction of Chenab and Anji bridges for direct rail service to Kashmir has increased the pride of the country.

Similarly, the new Pamban Bridge connecting Rameswaram to the mainland in the south has given a new identity to the country's infrastructure. The successful completion of big projects proves that the country's development is moving rapidly in the right direction. The construction of this bridge was a difficult task, overcoming the challenge of sea waves.

Such projects usually take decades to complete, increasing the cost manifold. But PM Modi's clear vision that he will inaugurate the projects for which he lays the foundation stone has inspired the bureaucracy and technical experts to complete the work on time.

PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Pamban Bridge in 2019, and in 5 years it has been completed over the sea. Now he is going to inaugurate it, which has created excitement in the whole country.

This 2.08 km long bridge is special in many ways. It has 99 spans of 18.3 meters and one vertical lift span of 72.5 meters. It is 3 meters higher than the old bridge, which will allow large ships to pass easily. Its structure has 333 piles, and it has been made so strong that rail and marine operations will remain safe for years. Anti-corrosion technology, polysiloxane paint, advanced stainless steel and fiber reinforced plastic have been used in it, due to which it will be durable for a long time. The construction of this bridge has proved India's technical superiority in design and certification.

He said that now the whole world knows that institutions like IIT Chennai and IIT Bombay can efficiently complete the challenging task like designing of sea bridges.