An engineering marvel that evokes awe! : Pamban bridge

Feel the sea underneath your feet on a slow-moving train on Pamban bridge. Exotic!!! Imagine a railway bridge over the sea which 'opens up' to allow ferry and boat movement opened on 24 February 1914 it was India's first sea bridge. The Pamban bridge was the only surface transport that connected Tamil Nadu's island of Rameswaram to the mainland. The Pamban Bridge has a double-leaf bascule section, that can be raised to let tall ships pass, that is still functional even though it was constructed a century ago. The Pamban Road Bridge connects the National Highway with the Rameswaram island.

On an average, 10 to 15 boats and small ships pass beneath the bridge every month. The President A.P.J Abdul Kalam suggested it be strengthened and converted into a broad gauge rail. Pamban bridge is a cantilever bridge, that is it has structures that project horizontally into space, supported only on one end. The Pamban Bridge is located in the area of immense corrosive potential, second only to the Gulf of Mexico in the world.

The bridge is located in the world's second most corrosive environment after Florida, making its maintenance a challenging job. The bridge was further strengthened in 2009 for running goods traffic. Indian Railways is vying to bring the bridge in the Unesco's world heritage list. In 2013, the Indian Railways applied to UNESCO to declare the bridge a world heritage site, and we think the appeal is justified. A day trip to Dhanuskodi, Tamilnadu off from Madurai. Take any train journey to Rameshwaram and that's where you cross a hell of a rail-bridge, more than '100 years old' Pamban bridge which connects you to the Rameshwaram Island. About 1,300 workers and 150 engineers worked tirelessly overcoming all odds for the last seven years to accomplish the engineering marvel. Following cyclone-induced tragic train accident in 1964, Indian Railways installed devices to check the wind velocity across the Pamban viaduct. As India's first sea bridge, it has also become a tourist attraction by itself as people watch in awe when the two leaves of the bridge open up to let ships to pass through.

Even as Indian Railways' Pamban bridge continues to be an engineering marvel, yet another railway bridge that is likely to be a stunning site is coming up in Jammu and Kashmir. It is as marvelous as it is majestic and the world may never see the likes of it ever again. The two leaves of the bridge are opened manually using levers get a beautiful glimpse of the Pamban road bridge alongside. The design would ensure that it withstands blast and seismic activities, while the signaling arrangements would ensure the train does not encounter high wind velocity at that height. The Pamban Railway Bridge on the Palk straight links Pamban Island to the mainland India.

The railway bridge carried meter gauge trains connecting Mandapam on mainland India to Pamban. The concerted effort by the Indian Railways to convert most operational tracks to the broad gauge standard. The bridge will be taller than Paris' famous Eiffel Tower and is being built to withstand earthquakes. Though the bridge was constructed at a time when technology was not advanced, it stands out as a fine example of construction. The bridge suffered minor damage when a naval barge drifted into it. A true testament to quality engineering that stood tall against Nature’s fury. The bridge was repaired and reopened for service in 46 days. Few can forget a train journey on the Pamban bridge, connecting Rameswaram island to the mainland.

My name is Riya Jindal, I am Seo Executive working for Hindi News Portal. I seek to inspire people to be curious about the world and find ways to travel more and explore the world.