Meet woman, an Indian who spent 17 years building world’s tallest railway bridge that can weather earthquake, her name is...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, i.e., June 6, inaugurated much-anticipated and world's highest railway arch bridge over the river Chenab, connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country by train. An engineering marvel, the Chenab Rail Bridge is located 359 meters above the river. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions, expected to enhance the connectivity between Srinagar and Kashmir. 

Interestingly, the bridge is 35 meters taller than Paris's iconic Eiffel Tower. 

But do you know that an Indian Institute of Science (IISc) professor played a pivotal role in guiding and overseeing the construction work of the world's tallest railway bridge? Well, G Madhavi Latha, a specialist in rock engineering from the department of civil engineering at IISc spent 17 years guiding the development of the much-awaited project, says a report by Deccan Herald. 

Latha engineered the Rs 1,486 crore bridge in such a way that it can withstand extreme natural conditions for more than a century. 

“IISc was the consultant for slope stabilisation and foundation whereas foreign firms were involved in making the steel arch. Planning of the bridge started in 2005, and it was completed in 2022 when trial runs with full speed trains were carried out,” Madhavi Latha told Deccan Herald. 

"Design as you go"

G Madhavi Latha followed "design as you go" approach as the intial investigation on the rock types revealed it was inadequate for such an enormous construction. An additional challenge was the high seismic zone, which was worked out by building strong and deep foundations to withstand harsh natural conditions. 

"We made design modifications to account for such factors. For instance the foundations were shifted slightly from where they were to be in the original plans. In situations like this, we can’t go with a rigid design,” Latha told the outlet. 

"A journey to remember"

Prime Minister Modi hailed the milestone, calling it a "journey to remember". In a post on 'X', the Prime Minister wrote, "A journey to remember and a big boost to connectivity! Travelled from the Chenab Rail Bridge to Anji Bridge and thereon to Katra for the public meeting. Today's development works will enhance the development journey of Jammu and Kashmir".