Until 2019, Kashmir’s potential for infrastructural development remained either unrealized or unutilized for several reasons. It isn’t that Kashmir never witnessed infrastructural progress before the cancellation of its special status. However, with the UT now slated to be the home to infrastructural wonders, one may say that the solutions to logistical and terrain-related challenges gained better momentum after 2019. One of them is the Chenab Bridge, which is the world’s highest upcoming railway bridge. Let’s know something more about it.
The Chenab Bridge – 10 Questions Answered
1. What is the Chenab Rail Bridge?
The Chenab Rail Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge.
2. Where is the Chenab Bridge located?
The Chenab Bridge is located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
3. At what height is the Chenab Bridge being built?
The Chenab Bridge is being built at a height of 359 meters above Chenab’s river bed level. It is 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower situated in Paris, France.
4. How long is the Chenab Bridge?
The Chenab Bridge is 1315 meters long.
5. What is the approximate cost of constructing the Chenab Bridge?
The cost of constructing the bridge currently falls somewhere between INR 27,000 – INR 28,000 crore.
6. What will be the bridge arch’s overall weight?
The overall weight of the bridge arch will be approximately 10619 MT. The design has been developed with the help of Tekla, a software that has helped the engineers with the structural detailing part.
7. Of which railway project is the bridge a part?
The bridge is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.
8. How enduring is the structural steel used in the construction of the bridge?
The structural steel is suitable for -10 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius, according to the Railway Ministry.
9. When is the bridge likely to be ready?
Although railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hasn’t given an exact date when asked about the bridge in Lok Sabha, if the project-related sources are to be believed, the bridge is likely to be ready by December 2022.
10. What does the Chenab Bridge aim to do?
Obviously, the bridge aims to boost connectivity across the Kashmir valley.
We hope the bridge gets completed before the said time and we soon get to witness this architectural marvel, enabling better connectivity and attracting tourists in Kashmir.
Source – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenab_Rail_Bridge
