Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the construction of the arch for a bridge 359 m above the Chenab river bed, stating that it was an example of the country’s “changed work culture”.
In a tweet, Modi said, “Indians’ capability and confidence are today presenting an example to the world. This construction work not only shows India’s increasing strength in modern engineering and technology but also is an example of the country’s changed work culture of realising its resolve.”
The 1.3 km bridge, which is to be the world’s highest railway bridge, is a major step towards seamless railway connectivity to the Kashmir valley and it is being constructed at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal watched the lowering of the closure segment of the arch by cable crane through a video link from Delhi. The bridge, which is 35m higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, is expected to be completed within a year, officials said.
