Chenab bridge: Why world’s highest railway bridge is a game-changer for J&K

Remember the stunning pictures of the roller-coaster-like bridge in Jammu that went viral a couple of years ago? It is now ready. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, is inaugurating the Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge along with multiple projects.

The bridge is an engineering marvel and its completion is a milestone. Its construction over the Chenab River was one of the biggest challenges for a railway project in recent times. There were concerns about the safety and stability of the Chenab bridge, which is taller than the Eiffel Tower. But it has passed all mandatory tests. Now the world’s highest bridge is all set to make history more than two decades after it was approved in 2003.

Here’s all you to know about the Chenab bridge, which is more than just India’s latest civil engineering wonder.

Also read: Chenab bridge, AIIMS, expressways: The mega projects PM is inaugurating in Jammu

What are the key features of the Chenab bridge?

The Chenab bridge, which was contracted in 2008, runs between Bakkal and Kauri in Jammu’s Reasi district, linking Katra to Banihal. It is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), a project worth Rs 35,000 crore, which aims to boost connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, where topography and weather pose challenges. The cost of the bridge is around Rs 14,000 crore.

The arch bridge is 1,178 feet above the riverbed, making it 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. It has a lifespan of 120 years.

Tests have been conducted to check the stability and safety of the world’s highest bridge. It can withstand high-velocity winds with speeds up to 260 kmph, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, and hydrological impacts in case of an increase in water levels.

The bridge has a 2,015 km long approach road. Engineers took three years to build the arch of the bridge with the help of two giant cable cranes which had been installed on both banks of the Chenab, the Kauri end and the Bakkal end, according to a report in The Indian Express.

Surender Mahi, chief administrative officer of the USBRL project was quoted by The Economic Times (ET), as saying, “It was a very big project for all of us. To reach here we had to construct 26 km of approach roads having bridges and tunnels.”

The construction of the bridge, according to him, was achieved with the tech support of prestigious scientific and tech institutions in the country including IIT-Roorke, IIT-Delhi, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru, Defence and Research Organisation (DRDO), National Remote Sensing Agency, Geological Survey of India (GSI), among others.

Why the bridge is so significant to J&K

For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the opening of the Chenab bridge is a big boon. It comes after a long wait of more than 20 years after the project got a go-ahead in 2003.

Connectivity in the region has been poor and the bridge is just one of the many upcoming projects that will make commuting and transport of goods easier. The railway line shall also prove useful for the armed forces deployed in this geographically important region and also help boost tourism, according to a video posted by the Indian Railways.

Retired Major General SP Sinha told Foreign Policy that the bridge holds “great strategic significance” for the mobility of Indian troops and artillery from the rest of India to Kashmir and the Ladakh region. “Road connectivity has always been an issue for the army to travel to Kashmir during winters. Once the railway starts, it will be more convenient for the Indian troops to commute to Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said.

According to Sinha, having all-weather connectivity to the northern region would prove detrimental to “Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism in Kashmir.” “Having 365 days of connectivity with the valley will be a big advantage for us to face any threat from the neighbouring country,” he added. He also said that the railway will connect J&K to Ladakh and this will have “tremendous significance to see defence forces moving up to China in the north”.

The bridge will also usher development to surrounding areas in Jammu, which did not have a basic road network. With the long approach road, 73 villages of the region which were earlier only accessible by foot or boat will now become accessible, reports ET.

Once the USBRL, of which the bridge is a part, is complete the Vande Bharat Metro train will run between Jammu and Srinagar. The project is part of the ambitious Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat plan, which aims to connect Kashmir to the other states in the country.

Linking the Union Territory to the rest of the country will provide a fillip to the region’s industrial and agricultural sectors. It will facilitate the transport of local products, especially apples, handicrafts and art made up of wool and wood, across the country.

The all-weather connectivity and round-the-clock transportation to J&K can be a game-changer. Earlier, the only land route connecting it to the rest of India was a winding 300-kilometre Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which closes during the harsh winters and is notorious for accidents.

“We are getting a lot of problems going across the road,” Anil Kumar Mehendru, vice president of the New Kashmir Fruit Association, told CNN. “Once we will be connected by train with the rest of India, it will be a big boost to this industry, agriculture as well as fruit.”

Rajinder Kumar, an assistant professor of psychology at the Government General Zorawar Singh Memorial Degree College, Reasi, told Foreign Policy that the bridge will contribute to the region’s economic development and help provide better transportation accessibility. “The railway project has given employment opportunities to many youth in the district while many people have opened shops near the site to earn their livelihood.” But he was concerned about the ecological impact.

The Chenab bridge is expected to have a significant impact on the tourism industry, making it easier for travellers to visit the Valley.

Sunil Kumar, a local who works with Afcons Infrastructure, in charge of the project, said that since the completion of the bridge, the area has turned into a tourist spot. “People from across the country are visiting the place to see the highest railway bridge in the world. It has given a real boost to the tourism sector of Reasi,” he told Foreign Policy.

What the bridge means for PM Modi

The project also has political implications. The Chenab bridge is seen as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to bring economic development to J&K. After the abrogation of Article 370, the government promised to integrate the region with the rest of the country. The move, it said, would bring growth and promote stability. The project is one big step in that direction.

On his visit to Jammu to inaugurate the bridge, Modi said, “Article 370 was the biggest hurdle in the development of Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP government has removed it. Now Jammu and Kashmir is moving towards overall development… Because of the abrogation of Article 370, I have asked people to help BJP win 370 seats and NDA win 400 seats in elections.”

Last year, Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The iconic Chenab Bridge is an example of such new chapters and dimensions of development materialised by the inspiring leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister.”

“The bridge and the greater connectivity it’s meant to create will be projected by New Delhi as another big victory for the region’s development,” CNN quotes Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Centre as saying.

With inputs from agencies