Monday Motivation: Engineers Attempt 5.3 Metre Metal Fit To Complete Chenab Arch in Most Treacherous Terrain

As per the reports, the shape of the arch that will appear over treacherous Chenab will be completed as the 5.3-meter last piece of metal will be fitted at the highest point tomorrow.

Updated: April 4, 2021 11:58 AM IST

By India.com News Desk | Edited by Surabhi Shaurya

Monday Motivation: Engineers Attempt 5.3 Metre Metal Fit To Complete Chenab Arch in Most Treacherous Terrain

New Delhi: Indian Railways achieved a big milestone as a half-a-kilometer-long arch, delineating features of the iconic Chenab bridge, above the Chenab River at a height of 359 meters in Jammu and Kashmir is all set to be completed on Monday. As per the reports, the shape of the arch that will appear over treacherous Chenab will be completed as the 5.3-meter last piece of metal will be fitted at the highest point tomorrow. Indian Express reported that the 5.3-meter metal piece, with the help of a crane, will be placed on the top of the arch by Monday noon.

Following the completion of the majestic arches of the world’s highest railway bridge, one of the biggest civil-engineering challenges faced by any railway project in India will end. Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the bottom ends of the main arch were connected. With the completion of the upper arch, the two will now be closed. Next, the tracks will be laid. The bridge will provide all-weather connectivity to Kashmir with the rest of the country seamlessly.

The World’s highest railway Bridge – the Chenab Bridge is part of an ambitious 272-km rail link project in Kashmir.

Chenab Arch Bridge: All you need to Know About  World’s Highest Railway Bridge

  • The bridge is located just 60 km from the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan. It is expected to form an important link in the 111 km long stretch present between Katra and Banihal.
  • It is part of an ambitious 272-km rail link project in Kashmir, which is being constructed by the Northern Railway at an estimated cost of Rs 28,000 crore to connect the valley to the rest of the country.
  • The bridge can withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of up to eight and high-intensity blasts.
  • It will have a design speed of around 100 kilometres per hour with a lifespan of 120 years.
    It will include a 14-metre-wide dual carriageway and a 1.2-metre-wide central verge.
  • Moreover, the iconic bridge will include 17 spans with a 469-metre main arch across the Chenab river and viaducts on either side and according to officials, steel was chosen to construct the bridge as it will be more economical and able to resist temperatures of minus 20 degree Celsius and wind speeds of above 200 kilometre per hour.
  • While the work on the bridge started in July 2017 with a target of completing its construction by the end of 2019, it came to a halt due to contractual issues in 2018. The revised deadline is now December 2021.

The bridge can withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of up to eight and high-intensity blasts

Earlier last month, the Ministry of Railways had apprised people over the progress of the most challenging project. Speaking to PTI, Konkan Railway Chairman Sanjay Gupta had said that this will be completed by December 2021.

“The construction of this bridge has been the most challenging task when it comes to the Kashmir railway link project “undertaken in the 150-year-long history of Indian Railways”, he asserted.

As per the reports, the bridge located near LoC was planned in such a way that even if one of the 17 piers supporting it were to be blown up, it will not collapse.

Officials said a ring of aerial security is also a part of the plan along with online monitoring systems.

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