Indian Railways on Monday accomplished the arch closure of the enduring Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge and part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail hyperlink undertaking.
In an announcement, the Railway Ministry stated that this was probably the most tough elements of the bridge over the Chenab and this achievement is a serious leap in the direction of the completion of the 111-km-long winding stretch from Katra to Banihal.
“It is arguably the biggest civil engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history. The 5.6-metre last piece of metal was fitted at the highest point today and joined the two arms of the arch that currently stretch towards each other from both the banks of the river,” the assertion stated.
This accomplished the form of the arch that can then loom over the treacherous Chenab, flowing some 359 metres beneath.
“After completion of the arch work, removal of the stay cables, filling of the concrete in the arch rib, erection of the steel trestle, launching of the viaduct and track laying work will be taken up,” the assertion stated.
The completion of the historic arch work was additionally seen by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Railway Board Chairman and CEO Suneet Sharma and General Manager, Northern Railway, Ashutosh Gangal, via video conferencing.
“This bridge is 1,315 metres long and the highest railway bridge in the world is 359 metres above the river bed level. It will be 35 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris,” the Ministry stated.
