All About New Pamban Bridge, India’s First Vertical-Lift Sea Bridge

The New Pamban Bridge is over 2 kilometres long and spans across the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu, connecting Rameswaram island with Mandapam on the mainland.

Over a century after the original Pamban Bridge was built across the Palk Strait in Rameswaram, India launched a state-of-the-art replacement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the New Pamban Bridge – the country’s first vertical-lift sea bridge – in Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Located in the Ramanathapuram district, the bridge connects Rameswaram Island with Mandapam on the mainland.

All About The New Pamban Bridge

• The New Pamban Bridge is 2.07 kilometres long and spans across the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu.
• It features a 72.5-metre navigational span that can be vertically lifted to 17 metres, allowing ships to pass below safely.
• The substructure can support two railway tracks, though it currently operates a single line. It connects Pamban (Rameswaram) Island with Mandapam on the mainland.
• The bridge is cleared for train speeds up to 80 kmph and is built to handle increased rail traffic and heavier loads.
• Constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Railways, the bridge cost approximately Rs 550 crore.
• With a projected lifespan of 100 years, the bridge has been constructed with special engineering techniques that reduce the need for frequent maintenance.
• It uses stainless steel reinforcement, fully welded joints, high-grade protective paint, and a polysiloxane coating to protect against corrosion in the harsh marine environment.
• The new bridge is built 3 metres higher than the old one, offering better sea clearance for maritime traffic.
• The lift span girder was assembled using the “Auto Launching Method based on Relationship Principle,” developed by Suntech Construction and verified by IIT Madras.
• Workers painted and inspected the girder segments offsite, transported them by truck to Pamban, and assembled them using EOT cranes on a temporary platform. Engineers used PAUT (Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing) to carry out precise welding checks.
• The bridge is being compared to famous ones like the Golden Gate Bridge in the USA, Tower Bridge in the UK, and the Oresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden because of its modern design and technology.

The original Pamban Bridge, built in 1914 by British engineers, used a manually operated Scherzer’s span (a type of rolling lift bridge). It had a 61-metre truss that lifted up to 81 degrees for ship movement. That bridge has been shut to rail traffic due to safety concerns