Chenab bridge
Points to ponder:
- The Chenab Bridge is a railway bridge located in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
- It spans the Chenab River and is part of the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (JUSBRL) project.
- The bridge is one of the highest rail bridges in the world, with a height of 359 meters (1,178 feet) above the riverbed.
- It is also one of the longest steel arch bridges in the world, with a total length of 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles).
- The construction of the bridge started in 2004 and was completed in 2019 at a cost of approximately ₹ 13,000 crore (USD 1.7 billion).
- The bridge was designed by consultants from Germany, Finland, and Spain, and was constructed by the Indian Railways and various contractors.
- It is designed to withstand earthquakes and high wind speeds and is also built to resist terrorist attacks.
- The bridge has been hailed as an engineering marvel and a symbol of India’s progress and technological advancement.
- It is expected to improve connectivity and reduce travel time between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India.
- The bridge has also attracted controversy due to concerns about its safety, environmental impact, and displacement of local communities
