Southern Railway on Saturday announced via its official X handle that India's first vertical lift sea bridge at Pamban is set to be unveiled in a few months. According to the X platform post, the "incredible engineering marvel" is in its final phase and the prefabricated vertical lift span has been erected.

Southern Railway has also shared photos of the bridge.

The Pamban Cantilever Bridge, a historic landmark, once connected Mandapam on the Indian mainland with Pamban Island and Rameswaram. Built over a century ago, this iconic structure was showing signs of significant wear and tear.

To address these concerns, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) began constructing a new Pamban rail bridge in 2019. The old bridge, deemed unsafe, saw its services suspended in December 2022. Construction of the new bridge is progressing in phases.

The new structure will feature 100 spans of 18.3 meters each and one 63-meter navigational span. It will be elevated by 3.0 meters compared to the old bridge, providing a navigational clearance of 22.0 meters above sea level.

Official sources indicate that railway services to Rameswaram are expected to resume by October 1 of this year, pending the completion of final tasks such as track inspections and electrical line installations.