New Pamban Bridge blends heritage and innovation—offering a transformative rail link between mainland India and Rameswaram Island on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu), April 6: Marking a moment of national pride and engineering brilliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, the New Pamban Bridge, in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami 2025.
Spanning 2.07 kilometers across the Palk Strait, the bridge connects the mainland to Rameswaram Island, one of Hinduism’s holiest pilgrimage sites. Built at a height three metres above the original 1914 Pamban Bridge, the new structure not only honors India’s historic legacy but propels it into a new era of technological and transport innovation.
“The harsh marine environment and growing transportation demands necessitated a modern solution,” said the Ministry of Railways, underlining the bridge’s strategic and spiritual significance.
Constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna PSU, the bridge features a 72.5-metre vertical lift span, enabling two rail tracks to rise and allow ship movement underneath—a first for India. The lift system, engineered using the Auto Launching Method based on Relationship Principle, was designed by Suntech Construction Engineering Consultants and verified by IIT Madras.
Equipped with 88 spans of 18.3-metre steel plate girders, the bridge is built using corrosion-resistant stainless steel reinforcement, polysiloxane coatings, and fully welded joints to endure the Palk Strait’s turbulent waters, cyclonic threats, and seismic activity.
“This structure represents a vision to blend heritage and innovation—linking devotion with development,” a senior official noted, comparing the bridge’s scale to global icons like the Golden Gate Bridge (US), Tower Bridge (UK), and the Oresund Bridge (Denmark–Sweden).
The original Pamban Bridge, inaugurated in 1914 by British engineers, was a cantilever bridge with a Scherzer Rolling Lift span, vital for trade and pilgrimage. However, by the 21st century, it could no longer support rising traffic demands and modern safety standards, leading to the 2019 approval of this technologically advanced replacement.
The New Pamban Bridge not only enhances speed and safety for railway connectivity but also paves the way for economic development, tourism, and pilgrimage in southern Tamil Nadu.
As Ram Navami marks the birth of Lord Ram, the inauguration of this modern marvel on such a sacred day stands as a symbol of faith, strength, and forward-looking governance.
With Prime Minister Modi inaugurating the bridge, India takes yet another step toward redefining its infrastructure ambitions and honoring its cultural roots—one span at a time.