7-531: The New Pamban Bridge ( pronounced: /pɑːmbən/ romanised: pāmban ) is a railway bridge that will connect the town of Mandapam in mainland India with Rameswaram on Pamban Island . The new bridge is constructed parallel to the old Pamban Bridge opened in 1914 and was planned to replace the same. It spans a length of 2.07 km (1.29 mi) and is the first vertical lift sea bridge in India. It will open for traffic in late 2024. The old Pamban Bridge
14-638: Is expected to be opened for traffic by late 2024 post the approval of the Commission of Railway Safety . Mandapam Mandapam is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . The famed Pamban Railway bridge and Vehicular bridge lie to the East of this Panchayat Town. Mandapam is Tamil Nadu’s largest refugee camp for Sri Lankans in India . Mandapam
21-423: Is located at 9°17′N 79°07′E / 9.28°N 79.12°E / 9.28; 79.12 . It has an average elevation of 9 metres (29 feet). As of 2001 India census , Mandapam had a population of 15,799. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandapam has an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and female literacy
28-464: The Government of India considered building a replacement bridge. In December 2022, rail transportation on the old bridge was suspended permanently as the bascule section had weakened significantly due to corrosion. In 2020, Government of India announced that a new railway bridge will be constructed near the old Pamban Bridge at a cost of ₹ 5 billion (US$ 60 million). The construction contract
35-539: The vertical lifting span. It is situated about 12.5 m (41 ft) above sea level, which is about 3 m (9.8 ft) higher than the old bridge. The vertical lifting span would be used to raise the central span of the bridge to allow ships of up to 22 m (72 ft) height to pass through. The construction of the bridge was completed in September 2024 and trial runs were conducted in October 2024. The bridge
42-688: Was awarded to Rail Vikas Nigam Limited . The foundation stone for the new bridge was laid by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2019 and the construction commenced in February 2020. The new bridge is constructed parallel to the old bridge and spans a length of 2.07 km (1.29 mi). It has a vertical lifting section of about 72 m (236 ft) and is the first vertical lift sea bridge in India. It has 99 spans of 18.3 m (60 ft) length to go along with
49-554: Was opened in February 1914 and carried rail traffic between Rameshwaram in Pamban Island and mainland India. The bridge underwent several overhauls over the years to extend its lifespan. The bridge was damaged in an accident in 2013 and the Ministry of Railways planned to invest ₹ 25 crore (US$ 3.0 million) to upgrade the bridge in 2016. In December 2018, fissures developed on the bridge, which halted railway traffic and
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