The rail link is one of the most difficult projects undertaken in the subcontinent
The Indian Railways has shared new images of the country's first cable-stayed bridge on the Anji river in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. The under-construction Anji Khad bridge, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, will connect Katra and Reasi areas through rail link.
The spectacular images show the suspension pillar beside a giant steel frame. Once ready, the bridge will stand at a height of 331 metres above the river bed – higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The total length of the bridge is 473.25 metres and it is supported by 96 cables.
“An engineering marvel in the making. Catch sight of India's first-ever cable-stayed rail bridge. Situated over Anji river, Anji Khad bridge will connect Katra and Reasi Section, a part of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link, J&K,” the Railways wrote in a social media post.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link is deemed to be one of the most difficult projects undertaken in the Indian subcontinent. The bridge has been designed to withstand storms and strong winds. Given the complex geology of the high-altitude region, constructing the bridge is very challenging. The Railways has divided the 272-km rail link into three subsections.
In October 2016, the Railways had decided to use cables to support the Anji Khad bridge as it would be impossible to build an arch similar to the iconic bridge being built over the Chenab river in the Union Territory. Because of this, the Anji bridge has a single pylon. The pylon had to be constructed on a vertical slope by using micropiles of 40 metres in depth, officials had said earlier.
The Railways is using the Pump Concreting System to increase efficiency and give greater safety to workers.