World’s tallest railway bridge by Indian Railways
The Chenab Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge under construction between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of J&K.
The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) is building the bridge over a 111 km stretch under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. It will connect the valley with the rest of the country through railways.
According to railway officials, the Chenab bridge is being constructed 359 m above Chenab's river bed and is 35 m taller than the Eiffel Tower.
The length of the bridge will be 1,315 m with 17 spans, of which the span of the main arch across the Chenab river will be 467 m. The viaduct portion comprises a straight and curved portion. The curvilinear portion is located on a 2.74 degree sharp curve.
Technical specifications of the bridge:
Bridge length: 1,315 m (4,314 ft), including the 650 m (2,130 ft) long viaduct on the northern side
Deck height (height above river bed): 359 m (1,178 ft), (height above river surface): 322 m (1,056 ft)
Arch span: 467 m (1,532 ft)
Arch length: 480 m (1,570 ft)
Image: The bridge was modelled on Tekla structures, construction modelling software by Trimble.
Also read: Hydro project on the Chenab approved
Also read: Bridge information modelling for construction efficiency
