NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the Chenab Bridge, the world's tallest railway arch bridge, to the nation on Friday. The ceremony is scheduled for 11 AM. He will also inaugurate India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, the Anji Bridge, and dedicate developmental projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project will also be officially inaugurated.

The Chenab Bridge is part of the USBRL project, which connects Jammu to Srinagar. At 12 noon, Prime Minister Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat train, which will pass over this iconic bridge. He will also visit the bridge deck during the ceremony.

16th tallest bridge in the world

• Location: Spanning the Chenab River in Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir
• Height: 359 meters (approx. 1,178 feet) above sea level
• Length: 1,315 meters (4,314 feet)
• Provides an alternative route to the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway
• 16th tallest bridge in the world
• 11th longest arch bridge globally
• Longest bridge on a broad-gauge railway network
• Construction Cost: Rs 14,000 crore
• Built across the deep gorge of the Chenab River near the Salal Hydroelectric Project
• A single, massive steel arch bridge with approach viaducts on both ends. Constructed using steel boxes filled with concrete
• Estimated lifespan of 120 years
• Can withstand wind speeds up to 260 km/h, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, and floods
• Designed to resist intense explosions
• Trains can travel over it at speeds up to 100 km/h
• USBRL Project
• Total cost: Rs 43,780 crore
• Total route length: 272 kilometres
• Includes: 36 tunnels and 943 bridges
• Katra to Srinagar travel time via Vande Bharat will be reduced to 3 hours (currently 6 hours)
• Includes the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge (Length: 473 meters).