CHENAB RAIL BRIDGE
Chenab Bridge, Jammu and Kashmir, India is an under-construction rail bridge, located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India. The 1,315m-long bridge is being built at a height of 359m. Once completed, it will be the tallest rail bridge in the world. The Rs 5.12bn ($92m) bridge is a part of Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (JUSBRL) project being undertaken by the Ministry of Indian Railways. The bridge will include a 14m-wide dual carriageway and a 1.2m-wide central verge. The project is expected to be finished by December 2021 and will have a lifespan of 120 years. It will contribute to the economic development of the state and help in providing better transportation accessibility within the state and the country.
NEED FOR THE CHENAB RAIL BRIDGE
Travelling in and around the mountainous terrain of Jammu and Kashmir has been a great difficulty for locals. An urgent need to provide better transportation facilities was recognized by the Government of India. Construction of a national railway project that will connect J&K with the rest of India was therefore proposed. The JUSBRL project was launched in 2003 as part of this proposal. The 345km-long railway line between the Jammu and Baramulla regions will enhance mobility within the state and across India. The railway line will traverse along Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund-Baramulla. Construction of the Jammu to Udhampur section was completed and opened in April 2015. Work is progressing on the Udhampur to Baramulla section. The project includes construction of several bridges and tunnels along the route, of which Chenab Bridge is one. It will span across the deep Chenab River and provide access to the Kashmir valley from Udhampur. The project was suspended in 2008 due to construction challenges. The alignment of the entire JUSBRL project was reviewed to propose solutions for the challenges faced. The review work was submitted to the Railway Board and approved in 2009. The design of the bridge, however, was approved in July 2012.
CHENAB BRIDGE DESIGN DETAILS
Chenab Bridge forms a massive steel arch, the first of its kind in India. The country has no codes or design guidance for such massive structures. Based on experiences drawn from similar projects worldwide, the design practices for the bridge are being followed. The bridge is designed to resist wind speed upto 260km/h. The seismic nature of the project zone was considered during its design. It is expected that the structure will be able to withstand earthquakes of magnitude eight on Richter scale and up to 40kg of TNT blast and trains can run at a speed 100 Kmph on this bridge.
