RAMANATHAPURAM: The dismantling of the old Pamban railway lift bridge, a 110-year-old historic structure connecting Mandapam with Rameswaram island, began on Sunday after special prayers, railway officials said.
A senior railway official said the Scherzer lift span located at the centre of the bridge would be dismantled by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited at a cost of Rs 2 crore and Rs 81 lakh. The work, which began after performing rituals, is expected to be completed within four months. During this period, the lift span will not be opened for the movement of ships and boats.
Train services on the old bridge were suspended on December 23, 2022, after officials detected excessive vibrations when an express train from Chennai crossed the lift span. Since then, the bridge has remained unused.
With a new railway bridge constructed nearby at a cost of Rs 445 crore and commissioned in April, all train services are currently being operated through the new bridge. The old bridge, which had crossed 100 years and suffered corrosion due to saline air and manual operation of the lift span, was declared redundant, prompting the decision to dismantle it.