Ramanathapuram sources have stated that as part of its plan to improve the safety and strength of the century-old Pamban rail bridge, India’s first cantilever bridge, Southern Railway began replacing 16 highly corroded girders on Tuesday without disrupting train services to Rameswaram Island.
Meanwhile under the supervision of Southern Railway Divisional Engineer (North) Karthik and Additional Divisional Engineer Manikandan, , the work has begun on Tuesday morning after all safety precautionary measures were ascertained.
G. Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, MR Hi Tech Engineers, which was awarded the contract, has said the company had replaced 28 corroded girders with metalized girders supplied by Southern Railway Engineering Workshop in Arokkonam last year and they have moved in all infrastructures and will complete the work by November end.
Ramakrishnan has also added that for the first time, the railways have used six girders with polythene coating, a new technology on the suggestion of the research wing of Indian Railways, M. Suyambulingam, Chief Engineer (Bridges), has told the ‘paint-free life’ girders would not require painting for 15 years, and were recommended for highly corrosive areas like Pamban.
