PM Modi inaugurates India's first vertical lift sea bridge in Tamil Nadu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the New Pambam Bridge in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. The 2.07-kilometre-long New Pamban Bridge, spanning the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu, stands as a testament to India's engineering prowess and visionary infrastructure development. PM Modi along with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, flagged off the first train traversing the sea bridge.

Let’s cheer for our engineers and Team Bharat!

The iconic #NewPambanBridge inaugurated and #PambanExpress train flagged-off by PM @narendramodi Ji. pic.twitter.com/5ARDOV1fPB

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) April 6, 2025

A demonstration of the bridge's functionality showcased its capabilities, with visuals from the area capturing key moments-- Indian Coast Guard (ICG) boat successfully navigated under the bridge, highlighting its clearance and waterway accessibility. Following the boat's passage, a train traversed the bridge, demonstrating its structural integrity and rail connectivity. While the new Pamban Bridge is India's first vertical lift sea bridge, it shares similarities with other globally recognized bridges known for their technologic l advancements and unique designs. The ministry said that these include the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States, Tower Bridge in London, and the Oresund Bridge in Denmark-Sweden.
The bridge's story traces back to 1914, when British engineers constructed the original Pamban bridge. A cantilever (a long piece of metal or wood that extends from a wall to support the end of a bridge) structure with a Scherzer Rolling Lift span to connect Rameswaram Island with mainland India. However, the new bridge, sanctioned in 2019, is 3 meters higher than the existing one, improving sea connectivity. Addressing the gathering PM Modi says, "In the last 10 years, India has doubled the size of its economy. One of the major reasons for this rapid growth is our excellent modern infrastructure."

Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu: PM Modi says, "In the last 10 years, India has doubled the size of its economy. One of the major reasons for this rapid growth is our excellent modern infrastructure. In the past decade, we have increased the budget for infrastructure like railways, roads,… pic.twitter.com/4WopZqZ5JN

— IANS (@ians_india) April 6, 2025

Earlier, PM Modi offered prayers at the famous Ramanatha Swamy temple in this holy town, coinciding with Rama Navami. Clad in the traditional 'veshti' (dhoti), shirt and 'angavastram' (worn around the neck), the PM visited the holy shrine on Sunday for the second time in a little over a year. He had offered prayers at the temple last year, ahead of the Pran Pratishta of Sri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Upon his arrival at the temple, the priests accorded him a traditional welcome and the PM offered prayers at the shrine. Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, Union Minister L Murugan and BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai accompanied him.