| Carries: | Rail |
| Owner: | Indian Railways |
| Length: | 2070m (6,790feet) |
| Number Spans: | 100 |
| Num Track: | 1 |
| Begin: | February 2020 |
| Complete: | 2025 (expected) |
| Locale: | Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India |
The New Pamban Bridge (pronounced: /pɑːmbən/ romanised: pāmban) is a railway bridge under construction that will connect the town of Mandapam in mainland India with Rameswaram on Pamban Island.[1] The new bridge is constructed parallel to the iconic Pamban bridge opened in 1914 and will replace it. The new Pamban bridge with a length of 2070m (6,790feet) will be India's first ever vertical lift sea bridge once opened. It is expected to be opened in 2025 year start.[2]
The Indian Railways decided to construct a new bridge parallel to the old Pamban bridge with after considering the latter's age and difficulty in maintenance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the new bridge in November 2019. The construction is being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited at an estimated cost of ₹550 crore.[3] In February 2020, the bridge construction got under way. It will have 100 spans across the sea and is 12.5 metres above sea level. The new bridge will be 3 metres higher than the old one. The vertical lift span of the bridge is around 72 metres. The span can be lifted because of this lift span. Automatic lifting technology is used to raise the center of the bridge to allow ships to easily pass through. The new technology will allow the bridge to have a navigational air clearance of 22 meters above sea level.[4]