(Image source from: timesnownews.com)

The bridge is being built over the Chenab River and will be completed by 2021. It will be 35 meters higher that Eiffel tower.

The world’s highest railway bridge above the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir will be ready by 2021 and the first link between Kashmir valley and the rest of India will be established by 2022.

It has a span of 467 meters and is being built 359 meters above the sea level. The construction of this bridge allegedly began in 2004. However, the work was accelerated last year under the supervision of top officials from the central government.

A senior government official said that the height of Qutub minar which is 72 meters and the height of Eiffel tower is 324 meters and the height of this railway bridge would be 359 meters, making it the highest one in the world.

The maximum designed wind speed for the bridge is 266 kmph.

The bridge will link Udhampur-Katra, Banihal-Quazigund and Quaigund-Baramulla and also the Katra-Banihal sections of the Kashmir valley. The three sections have already been commissioned and the fourth one, the katra-Banihal section is currently under execution.

It is targeted for completion in December 2022. According to the officials, the Katra-Banihal section is 111 kilometers. The 126 kilometers of 174 kilometers of the tunnels have been already completed.

Kashmir will witness the first train running on the bridge to other parts of the country by December 2022.

The bridge is being constructed under The Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) which was announced in November, 2015.

Some interesting facts about the railway bridge you might want to know:

                      (Image source from: cloudfront.timesnownews.com)

• The bridge will be 1.315 kilometers long and will have railway stations at both its terminal ends.
• The Railways is in a plan to install sensors along the bridge to measure the wind velocity. In case the wind speed exceeds 90kmph, a red signal will be present to alert the train movements and the train would stop.
• The lifespan of the bridge is expected to be 120 years.
• Since the bridge is being built in the terrorism-prone area, DRDO is working with the Indian Railways to ensure the bridge can withstand any major blasts.
• Special 63 mm thick blast proof steel will be used in the construction of the bridge.
• Consultants from Finland and Germany have designed the bridge.
• The arch bridge is also designed in such a way that it can withstand earthquakes of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale.
• Three big tunnels are also being constructed on the other side of the river.
• Over 1300 workers and 300 engineers have been working round the clock on this project to complete it by the year end.
• Foot paths and cycling trails will also constructed adjacent to the bridge.
• A rope way is also installed near the railway bridge for maintenance and surveillance.

By Gayatri Yellayi