Bolts pose threat to motorists on Pamban road bridge

The bridge which connects the mainland and Rameswaram on the Pamban island, was proposed after the 1964 Dhanushkodi cyclone and vetoed by the union government. Work finally started in 1974 at an estimated Rs.5.37 crores. Affected by the 1978 cyclone it was completed in 1986 at a cost of Rs.16.65 crores. The last annual maintenance done in 2013 cost Rs.18.57 crores when 592 old bearings were replaced. 

Anti-corrosion painting in 1992 and 2002 was obviously not enough. As the central span is 17.68 metres above the sea, any mishap to a speeding two-wheeler especially at night can toss the rider into the sea. Located adjacent to the old rail bridge, it is situated in the world’s second most corrosive environment after Florida (USA) making its maintenance very challenging. Meanwhile, the 1914 cantilever rail bridge is getting a fresh coat of anti-corrosion paint.

The repairs in 2013 were carried out after lighting facilities and bearings were damaged and several cracks found on the pillars of the bridge, which has 78 concrete pillars. Over 530 elastomeric spring bearings and 8 bearings in each span were replaced. A team fixed the cracks on the pillars of the bridge, inaugurated in 1988 by the then PM Rajiv Gandhi by injecting cement paste using modern technology.