Rameshwaram Pamban Bridge: India’s First Sea Bridge

“New Pamban Bridge, India’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge,” the Minister of Railways wrote on Twitter, further adding, “Target #Infra4India March 2022.”

The Indian Railways initiated the construction of the upcoming 2.05 kilometers long Pamban railway bridge, situated in Mandapam. The bridge will connect Rameshwaram Island to Tamil Nadu’s mainland.

The Pamban Bridge will Contribute to Indian Railways in the following ways:

• Operating trains faster
• Carry large amounts of  weight
• Increase traffic between Rameshwaram and Tamil Nadu’s mainland.
• Smooth connectivity

Note: The existing Rail bridge connecting Rameshwaram to Tamil Nadu’s mainland is one hundred and five year old.

The upcoming bridge, having the technology of ‘Scherzer’ rolling lift, opens in a horizontal manner for letting the ships to pass through. Whereas the upcoming bridge, which has a 63-meter section, would lift upwards in a vertical way, staying parallel with the deck. The process will be operationalized with the use of sensors at both ends.

Lately, the Ministry of Railways shared a couple of pictures of the upcoming Pamban Bridge on Twitter. The Railway Ministry’s tweet said, “This dual-track state-of-the-art bridge will be the country’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge and is expected to be completed by March 2022”.

Rameshwaram Pamban Bridge Important Facts

• Pamban Bridge: India’s first-ever sea bridge

This Pamban bridge of Rameshwaram is a devised marvel that induces awe! Some can forget the train journey they had on the bridge that connects Rameswaram island down to the mainland.The distance between Pamban Bridge to Rameshwaram is roughly around 10 kms.With one hundred forty-three piers, passing over 2 kilometers between the island & mainland, it is considered to be the second extensive sea bridge in the country after 2.3 kms Bandra to Worli connection on Mumbai’s western seaboard.

• The bridge will turn hundred in February 2014

As the month of February comes near, the Pamban Bridge that was commissioned in the year 1914, will now turn 100 & officials based on the Southern Railway’s Madurai partition have arranged various programs that will spread over these couple of months in order to mark this occasion.

• Commissioned in February 1914

Efforts got subjected for the establishment of the Rameshwaram Pamban Bridge in the early ’70s precisely the 1870s along with the British management planning to lengthen the trading connectivity from Sri Lanka, followed by Ceylon.  

Although, rail bridge commenced only in the year 1911 & was finally commissioned on 24th February 1914.

• Bridge opened to allow ferry gesture

The central part of this bridge that allows ferry gestures was designed by a German engineer known as Scherzer. On an average basis, there are about 10-15 boats along with small ships that pass through this bridge each month.

• Connection B/W Rameswaram & The Mainland

Pamban bridge is said to be the only connection between the mainland & Rameswaram until the year 1988 when there used to be a road, streaming parallel to the bridge, was being built.

In the early days, it could transport hundreds of pilgrims to the temple that was on the island. 

• New broad-gauge line in the year 2007

The railways marked to shut the meter gauge rail that was involved in the conversion plan under the gauge. As a matter of fact, the railways also proposed an idea to make the same line ungauged but later APJ Abdul Kalam, the then president, recommended strengthening this line and converting the same into broad gauge rail.

• Survived a major cyclone

In 1964, the same bridge was even able to survive a major storm that demolished a growing port town.

E Sreedharan, who was behind the foundation of Delhi Metro, also played a significant role in strengthening the same bridge in a period of 46 days.

• IIT-Madras experts also tested the strength of the bridge

The experts that have arrived from IIT-Madras will now prepare a report regarding the residual existence of this Pamban Bridge. They will check on its strength, stability and its extent regarding corrosion.

• Contend for UNESCO’s World Heritage List

The bridge, later on, was further strengthened in the year 2009 in order to run good traffic.

The Indian Railway is contended to list this bridge under UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

• Tourist Attraction

India’s first-ever sea bridge has itself managed to become a tourist spot and attract tourists for people are in awe whenever they see two leaves open to let the ship pass through them.

• Other marvels performed by railway engineers

The railways are well-known for achieving feats of engineering. Another great example of their engineering expertise is that 11 kilometers long tunnel covering the dangerous Pir Panjal range mountain range on Banihal Qazigund railway line in Jammu & Kashmir. It is said to be the longest transportation passage in the country and listed as the second-longest in all of Asia.

There are about thirteen hundred workers & one fifty engineers who worked hard in overcoming all the odds in the past 7 years to achieve their engineering marvel. The tunnel is waterproof and equipped with a firefighting structure across the whole length of this tunnel.

Pamban Bridge: Construction & Architecture

The Rameshwaram Pamban Bridge today is approximately 2.345 kilometers long. The planning of this bridge is done to form an arch-like shape. The height of the bridge is quiet at a distance from sea level, which allows the ships & boats to pass under the pillars.

The table below has all the details mentioned about its facts, dimensions & figures regarding the Pamban Bridge.

Pamban Road Bridge History

After the storm that took place in the year 1964, a plan was proposed by the Tamil Nadu Government parallel to the plan of Road Bridge, which was later canceled by the Railway Ministry.

The Rameshwaram Pamban Bridge history dates back to 1970s as the construction started from 17th November in the year 1974 by Indian Highway department that was contracted by M/S Neelakandan Brothers Engineers in Madras.  

After the year’s storm, the construction work was carried forward in a very slow manner. As a few years passed the contract for the same was given to New Gammon India Limited.

The construction work was finally completed in the year 1988, which took nearly 14 years to complete the entire engineering marvel.

The Road Bridge was known as Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge and was inaugurated through the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 2nd October, in the year 1988.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)