On Ram Navami, PM Modi to Unveil India’s First Vertical Lift Sea Bridge in Rameswaram

(Tamil Nadu)April 6,2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be opening India's first vertical sea bridge, the new Pamban Bridge across Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram on April 6 coinciding with the Ram Navami celebrations. During his Tamil Nadu visit, he will also launch several infrastructure projects.

Measuring 2.2 km in length, the new vertical lift sea bridge replaces the hundred-year-old Scherzer rolling lift bridge with a faster, safer, and more efficient rail link between Rameswaram and the mainland.

The new Pamban Bridge features several state-of-the-art upgrades that make it different from the old one. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized these improvements in an X post.

"The New Pamban Bridge is a testament to the engineering capabilities and visionary infrastructure creation of India. With its history dating back to 1914 when British engineers built the first Pamban Bridge, a cantilever (a length of metal or wood extending from a wall to hold up the end of a bridge) type with a Scherzer Rolling Lift span to link Rameswaram Island with mainland India, " said the Railway Ministry. 

"The outcome is India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge, a 2.07-kilometre-long icon crossing the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu. Combining tradition with modernity, the New Pamban Bridge not only retains the cultural and historical significance of the area but also gives a huge quantum leap in design, connectivity, and regional development, " the statement added.

The first of its type in India, the bridge will enhance travel for pilgrims, visitors, and locals alike, as well as contribute to new economic development and tourism opportunities in the area.

Built at a cost of Rs 535 crore, this engineering feat was carried out by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). Stretching over two kilometres, the new bridge replaces the original structure from 1914, which was closed in 2022 due to severe corrosion after serving for more than a century.

The new bridge will further enhance rail connectivity to Rameswaram, one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimages, popularly associated with the legend of Lord Ram's bridge to Lanka as mentioned in the Ramayana.

Constructed at a cost of Rs 535 crore, this engineering marvel was undertaken by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). Spanning two kilometres, the new bridge has taken over from the original 1914 structure that was shut in 2022 after being severely corroded after serving for over a century.

The new bridge will further enhance railway connectivity to Rameswaram, Hinduism's most sacred religious pilgrimage centre, historically associated with the legend of Lord Ram's Lanka bridge as narrated in the epic poem Ramayana.