GUWAHATI: World’s highest rail bridge is being built over Chenab River in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Chenab Bridge is a concrete arch bridge under construction between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district. When completed, the bridge will span the Chenab River at a height of 359 m (1,178 ft) above the river, making it the world’s highest rail bridge. The bridge will connect Kashmir valley with Katra in Jammu and the rest of the country. It will also reduce the journey time by 5-6 hours from Katra to Srinagar.
83 per cent of the construction work is completed. The 1.3 Kilometre long bridge is 359 metres high, i.e 34 metres higher than the Eiffel tower in Paris.
R.R Mallik, Deputy Project Manager, Chenab Rail Bridge told the media, “Making a bridge in this terrain is a very tough job. It is like a challenge that we have accepted. The bridge is almost ready, only the erection part is yet to be completed.”
The area where the bridge is being built falls in the earthquake zone seismic 4, but the bridge is being built keeping in mind the steps to be taken to deal with seismic zone 5, that will enable it to withstand even larger earthquakes.
“This project has brought a lot of change in the nearby area as it has given employment to many native peoples. Some people are working as labourers, some are selling tea,”said a local person.
This unmatched engineering of rail-bridge will not only aid in connecting the valley with other parts of the valley, it will also play an important role in curving china and Pakistan’s disturbing activities.
