Jammu and Kashmir is a stunning state recognised for its breathtaking beauty and unique culture. But the state’s mountains also contain something else. It is a component of the Chenab Bridge, one of the greatest engineering achievements of our time. The enormous railway bridge, which spans the Chenab River valley in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, is slated to be the tallest railway bridge in the world.
Here are 9 intriguing details about the tallest railway bridge in the world:
1. It is tall: At 359 meters (1178 feet), the steel Chenab bridge will be an arch-shaped structure. It is now without a doubt the tallest railway bridge in the world. The Mala-Rijeka Viaduct in Montenegro, which is 284 m (932 feet) high, will no longer be the world’s tallest railway bridge.
2. Location: The bridge spans one of the world’s deepest and most hazardous valleys. It is situated in the Himalaya Mountains along the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line (USBRL).
3. Cost: Building the bridge wasn’t a simple task. Its completion is believed to have cost 2.3 billion dollars or 15868 crore rupees.
4. Construction: The Indian Railways designed and built the bridge. 370 engineers and more than 3000 employees made up the construction crew for this architectural wonder. The completion date for this project, which is a component of the Railways’ Mission Raftaar, is 2021.
5. Incredible facts: The bridge will require 23000 tonnes of steel, which is enough to construct 56 Eiffel Towers. The building required the usage of 95000 meters of steel and 8072 cubic metres of concrete. The Indian Railways needed 11 lakh mandays to complete this project.
6. Sophisticated engineering: To ensure that the bridge is sturdy, engineers developed a cutting-edge “Cable Stayed” design. This design makes it possible for the rail train to run without interruption while retaining the bridge’s overall structural integrity.
7. Powerful drills: To remove 3 tonnes of dirt, 24 powerful drills were required. In addition, hard rocks were removed from the earth using hydraulic rock splitters. Up to 1.5 meters of rock can be removed by a heavy-duty drill in a single pass.
8. Connecting important routes: The bridge would link Jammu and Udhampur, two of Northern India’s main rail hubs. Trains will be able to cross this bridge at a speed of 100 km/h once it is finished.
9. Tourism potential: In addition to being an impressive feat of engineering, the bridge has the potential to become a popular destination. Other than rail passengers, tourists can watch the bridge from a designated viewing area constructed as part of the bridge.
When the Chenab bridge is finished, it will actually be the highest railway bridge in the world and a proud representation of contemporary Indian architecture. When the bridge is finished, it will significantly aid in tying the state of Jammu and Kashmir together and make travel there faster and safer.
