Chenab Bridge, which is the Highest Bridge in the world
Recently, PM Modi has inaugurated the world’s highest bridge, the Chenab Bridge, on June 6, which is a major achievement of engineering. It is the highest single-arc railway bridge in the world connecting Jammu with Srinagar. Built at 359 meters above river level, the 1,315-meter-long bridge is 35 meters shorter than the Eiffel Tower. It has been built at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore. The bridge can withstand wind speeds of 260 kilometers per hour and seismic activity. The Chenab Bridge is very robustly designed, and even if one of its 14 pillars falls, the bridge will remain standing.
The company claims that the bridge can also withstand a 40-kilogram TNT explosion. Moreover, even if the bridge is partially damaged in a disaster, trains may continue to move at lower speeds. IIT Roorkee had conducted earthquake response modelling for the Chenab bridge, ensuring that the bridge could withstand the same intensity as the 2001 Gujarat earthquake (7.7 on the Richter scale). One of the biggest challenges in this unique construction was the delivery of heavy construction equipment and materials to the site located in inaccessible mountainous terrain. Working in this remote area with high mountains and limited roads was a great task for engineers and workers. Despite this, the project team has overcome every difficulty and made this bridge a great example of India’s engineering.
Professor Madhavi Lata at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has a huge contribution in the construction of this bridge. Madhavi has played a big role in the design and construction of the bridge. Madhavi Lata is one of the best engineers to help build the Chenab Bridge. He started considering the issue 17 years ago.
