Nestled between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chenab Bridge is an under-construction railway marvel. This ambitious project is being executed by the Northern Railways.

On March 17, 2021, a significant milestone was achieved as the bottom ends of the arch were connected. The bridge is slated to be operational by December 2021.

The Chenab Bridge, once completed, will be a sight to behold and will be the world highest railway bridge. It will stretch across the Chenab River at a staggering height of 359 m (1,178 ft) above the river, earning the title of the world’s highest rail bridge.The construction of the Chenab Railway Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, overcame extreme Himalayan terrain to complete the new railway bridge in Kashmir. Initially, horses and mules were used for transporting materials until roads were built. This engineering marvel not only showcases India's technological strength but also highlights how the Chenab railway bridge connects Kashmir to Kanyakumari by rail at an estimated Chenab railway bridge cost of over ₹1,400 crore. This article offers an insight into the Chenab Bridge, a topic of relevance for the IAS Exam.

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The Northern Railways embarked on the task of constructing a new railway line between Udhampur in Jammu and Baramulla on the northwestern fringe of the Kashmir Valley. This project was accorded the status of a national project in 2002.

The project's daunting challenge is constructing a whopping 63 km of tunnels through the rugged and imposing terrain of the Himalayas.

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Here's a quick look at the specifications of the chenab river railway bridge:

Chenab Bridge Specifications

Architectural Marvel: The Design of the Chenab Bridge

The Chenab Bridge is designed as a large span single steel arch bridge with approach viaducts on either side and is the highest railway bridge in the world.

The chords of the trusses are sealed steel boxes, internally stiffened and filled with concrete to manage wind-induced forces. This concrete filling also eliminates the need for internal painting.

The design includes a minimal number of bearings, especially on the approach viaduct, achieved through continuous construction. This approach reduces maintenance and inspection efforts while enhancing the riding quality. The viaduct piers are made of concrete, while the piers near the arch are steel.

The design of such a large arch rail bridge necessitates several considerations like fatigue, global stability, second order effects, composite action, and more.

The Indian construction standards such as the Indian Railway Standards (IRS), the Indian Road Congress (IRC), and the Indian Standards (IS) were not sufficient for the Chenab Bridge's large spans.

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Here are some of the design considerations:

• The design follows the limit state philosophy as per BS codes.
• Wind load effects are computed as per wind tunnel tests.
• Blast resistant design has been used.
• Design checking for fatigue as per BS codes.
• Redundancy in the structures, for lower level of operation during mishaps and against collapse in extreme cases of one pier failure.

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