THE construction of the arch of the world’s highest railway bridge that soars 359 metres above the bed of the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir was completed on Monday, with the Northern Railways terming the achievement a milestone. The 1.3-kilometre-long bridge aims to boost connectivity to the Kashmir Valley and it is being constructed at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.

 

The bridge, which is 35-metre higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, is expected to be completed within a year, officials said. “It is a historic day for the Northern Railways and a milestone in the completion of the USBRL project, connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.

 

The project will be completed within two and a half years,” Northern Railway General Manager Ashutosh Gangal told reporters at the work site here in Reasi district. In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Indians' capability and confidence are today presenting an example to the world. This construction work not only shows India's increasing strength in modern engineering and technology but also is an example of the country’s changed work culture of realising its resolve.” Railway Minister Piyush Goyal watched the lowering of the closure segment of the arch by cable crane through a video link from Delhi. Senior officers, including Gangal and Konkan Railway Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta, attended the function here.