Meet Pamban, India’s first and one of the largest sea bridges, globally 

Have you ever had the opportunity to travel across a sea bridge, be it in India or somewhere else? If yes, you would know that the experience can be quite exhilarating. This brings us to the next question: Do you know which was the first ever sea bridge in India? Well, that would be the Pamban Bridge in South India. In fact, not only was it the first sea bridge of the country, it was also the longest for nearly a century, until the launch of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in 2010. In case you know almost nothing about India’s first sea bridge, we are here to offer you a sneak peek.  

Connecting Rameswaram to mainland India  
First things first. When was Pamban Bridge built? Well, this railway bridge was built pre-independence in between 1911 and 1914 to connect Rameswaram located on the Pamban Island to mainland India (particularly Tamil Nadu’s panchayat and fishing town called Mandapam). It was inaugurated in 1915. British colonisers constructed this bridge to enhance trade practices between Ceylon and India. For those unaware, Pamban Island (also called Rameswaram Island) is located between Peninsular India and Sri Lanka; and is part of the famous Rama Setu archipelago.  

Design and construction 
The Pamban Bridge is situated 12.5 metres above sea level and is 2065 metres in length. It is a conventional bridge that rests on 143 concrete piers and has a bascule section (part of a bridge that can be moved around or raised) right at the centre in the shape of a double-leaf. This feature enables ships and barges to pass through the bridge by simply raising it manually using levers. It was designed and built by German engineer Scherzer.  

From one to two 
Until 1988, this bridge was the sole surface transport that connected the mainland to the island. It was in the same year that a road bridge called Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge (links National Highway 49 with the Pamban Island) was also built exactly parallel to the rail bridge, more specifically on the Palk Strait. This road bridge is 2.345 kilometres long and took nearly 14 years to be built.  

Interestingly, the bridge survived the original construction for more than a century, until it incurred some damage (in the bascule region) in December 2018 due to back-to-back naval barges. This had suspended movement for nearly three months.  

Fact File 

• Till 2007, only metre gauge trains travelled across the Pamban Bridge, when it was finally upgraded to broad gauge. 
• Bollywood film Chennai Express featured the Pamban Bridge at large. 
• Pamban Bridge is the only mode of transport for pilgrims travelling from mainland India to the famous Rameswaram temple.  
• In 1964, the railway bridge survived a severe cyclone that destroyed port town Dhanushkodi. 
• IIT-Madras now overlooks the maintenance of the railway bridge.