NEW DELHI: Lengthy earlier than towering cranes swung into motion or metal arches touched the skies, it was the standard clip-clop of hooves that echoed by the Himalayas.To deliver the dream of connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari alive, the crew constructing the Chenab Bridge, now the world’s highest railway bridge, first needed to navigate a far much less glamorous problem: getting there.Within the early days, the steep, unforgiving terrain of the Himalayas supplied no roads, no tracks—solely winding, slim paths. The answer? Horses and mules.“Initially, mules and horses were used by the project team to reach the location,” stated a spokesperson from Afcons Infrastructure Restricted, the engineering agency that executed the mega undertaking. “Gradually, temporary access roads were built, finally leading to more permanent routes,” he informed PTI.It took grit and persistence to tame the panorama. On the north financial institution of the Chenab, an 11-km street was carved out; on the south, 12 km extra adopted – routes that may ultimately usher in equipment, metal, and hope.On Friday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked throughout the bridge waving the tricolour, what unfolded was not simply the inauguration of a chunk of infrastructure, however the realisation of a nation’s engineering audacity. Together with the Chenab Bridge, the PM additionally flagged off the Anji Rail Bridge, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Hyperlink (USBRL), and Vande Bharat trains—bringing Kashmir a rail heartbeat nearer to the remainder of India.Taming the Himalayas wasn’t straightforward. Utilizing the world’s tallest crossbar cable cranes and heavy-duty machines, engineers carried out consolidation grouting on historic, brittle slopes, fortifying them to bear the huge arch foundations.The true magic unfolded on April 5, 2021. As cantilevered arches prolonged from both financial institution of the Chenab, they met in mid-air like clasped fingers—a second of triumph after years of calculations, braveness and concrete.And the feats didn’t cease there. For the primary time in Indian Railways’ historical past, incremental launching was executed on a transition curve and a longitudinal gradient on the identical location,.It wasn’t simply engineering excellence but in addition scientific precision that held the bridge collectively. A lab accredited by the Nationwide Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) was arrange on-site, one other Indian Railways first, to make sure uncompromising high quality at each stage.Standing 359 metres above the Chenab River, 35 metres taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower, the bridge is now the world’s tallest railway construction. A marvel in metal and spirit.
