 "2.08-km long, Rs 535 crore and more… The new Pamban Bridge to be inaugurated by PM Modi on Sunday")
On April 6 (Sunday), India will witness a sea-change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the country’s first vertical lift sea bridge at Pamban, which will connect Rameswaram with mainland India.
The new construction will replace the original Pamban Bridge, which was opened to the public in 1914 and was shut down only in December 2022 due to extensive corrosion and safety concerns.
As we await the inauguration of the new Pamban Bridge, here’s a recap on the original one and why the new structure is considered an engineering marvel.
Old Pamban Bridge that survived a cyclone
Before we dive into the features of the new Pamban Bridge, let’s do a quick recap of the old construction, which was thrown open to the public in 1914. Efforts to build such a bridge dates back to as early as the 1870s with the British administration planning to expand trade connectivity to Sri Lanka, then Ceylon.
However, the construction of the rail bridge commenced only by 1911 and it was commissioned on February 24, 1914, making it India’s first ever sea bridge. The bridge was designed by Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company of Chicago and was constructed by Head Wrightson & Co Ltd of Thornaby-on-Tees England. Its span was named after Scherzer, the engineer who designed and executed it. The Scherzer span work began in July 1913 and was completed in six months by December.
1950s :: Pamban Rail Bridge Opens Up to Allow Ship Movement
— indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) March 14, 2019
Constructed In 1914 Pamban Bridge Was India's First Sea Bridge pic.twitter.com/zUmClMY1Le
Once built, the Pamban Bridge was the sole transportation link between mainland Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram island, which is situated just a few miles away from Sri Lanka. In fact, it remained the only transport link for over 70 years until a road bridge was built beside it in 1988.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIn 1964, a severe cyclonic storm also known as the Rameswaram cyclone hit Tamil Nadu on December 23 and 24. Such was the severity of the cyclone that it wiped out the entire coastal town of Dhanushkodi . However, two days after the storm hit, when officials went to inspect they saw that the Pamban Bridge had withstood the storm, although it was quite damaged. Of the 146 spans, 126 washed away and two piers of the bridge also washed away.
Shortly after the cyclone, E Sreedharan , who is now known as India’s Metro Man, was tasked with the restoration of the bridge and given just six months to do so. However, he exceeded everyone’s expectations and the Pamban bridge was up and running once again within 46 days. “I had a very ordinary, uneventful career in the Indian Railways from December 1954 to June 1990. No doubt, restoration of the Pamban Bridge gave me an excellent opportunity to demonstrate my technical and organisational competence,” he’s been quoted as saying to India Today.
Corrosion forces bridge to shut down
As years passed by, the Pamban rail bridge continued to stand tall offering to be a link between Rameswaram and mainland India. In fact, it was India’s longest sea link until the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, popularly known as the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, in Mumbai opened in 2010.
But corrosion started to weaken the structure. In 2020, monitoring systems imported from Germany helped extend the life of the structure for another two years. Train services were suspended in December 2022 and later permanently stopped after the sensors emitted alarm over excessive vibrations during train movement. The engineers felt that the bridge, which served for over a century, was beyond repair.
A new engineering marvel
In 2019, the decision was taken to build a new Pamban Bridge and a foundational stone was laid for the same. Work was initially stalled for the bridge owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, but work was finally completed in November 2024 at a total cost of Rs 535 crore.
The new Pamban Bridge spans a total of 2.08 kilometre and stands three metres higher than the old Pamban Bridge. This allows the smaller ships to pass beneath without lifting the span. Moreover, on the new bridge, trains can operate at speeds of up to 98 kmph — compared to a speed of only up to 10 kmph on the old one. Also, the new Pamban bridge is engineered to handle significantly heavier loads, designed for 25 tonnes axle load.
Speaking on the structure, the Southern Railway said, “This new railway sea bridge between Mandapam railway station (mainland) and the Rameshwaram island is not just a replacement for the old Pamban Bridge; it represents a colossal leap in India’s engineering capabilities.”
The most outstanding feature of the new Pamban bridge is the state-of-the-art vertical lift mechanism, making it the first vertical lift railway sea bridge in India. The new bridge employs a vertical lift 72-metre central span that rises 22 metre above the water, allowing larger vessels to pass beneath with ease. Under rail traffic, the bridge remains simply supported at two ends thus ensuring absolute stability.
“While the new Pamban Bridge is India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, it shares similarities with other globally recognized bridges known for their technological advancements and unique designs. These include the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States, Tower Bridge in London and the Oresund Bridge in Denmark-Sweden. Each of these iconic structures, though different in design and functionality, represents a pinnacle of engineering excellence.
“The new Pamban Bridge stands proudly in their company, combining cutting-edge technology with the challenges posed by India’s coastal and seismic conditions,” the Southern Railway said in an official release, quoting CMD of RVNL, Pradeep Gaur.
Officials involved in the construction of the new bridge also note the many challenges they faced. The Pamban bridge is located in the Palk Strait’s turbulent waters, causing great difficulty to the workers. Moreover, the region is highly susceptible to cyclones, which forced officials to consider careful planning.
India’s engineering marvel…
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) March 27, 2025
Pamban Bridge in Rameswaram pic.twitter.com/UJ4v8r3vWa
However, with its use of high-grade stainless steel reinforcement in concrete, the bridge is now not only able to withstand seismic activity but also corrosion.
“The new Pamban Bridge stands as a proud symbol of what India can achieve when innovation, tradition and engineering excellence converge,” said RVNL.
According to a News18 report, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the new Pamban Bridge on Sunday from a platform erected on the Pamban Road Bridge, where he will stand for the duration of the 12-minute inauguration sequence.
With inputs from agencies
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