The historic Rameswaram island is all set to emerge as the major pilgrim and tourist destination as the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has awarded a new four-lane bridge, across the Pamban strait, adjacent to the existing Annai Indira Gandhi bridge, connecting the island to the mainland by road.
The Ministry’s National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in its recent order, has awarded the new bridge as part of the four-laning of the Ramanathapuram – Rameswaram section (National Highway-NH 49) and appointed Feedback Infra Private Limited, a Delhi-based integrated infrastructure services company, to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR), official sources said.
The company has been asked to design a state-of-the-art/signature bridge, parallel to the existing Pamban bridge, the sources said, adding the DPR consultant was yet to commence the work. The NHAI was also yet to decide on the type of the new bridge, though the Modi government at the Centre was keen on building a world-class bridge.
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The authorities had the idea of a bridge on the lines of the Bandra – Worli sea link cable stayed bridge in Mumbai but nothing had been finalised, the sources said. The existing two-lane 2.345-km bridge was more than 29 years old after it was thrown open for traffic by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on October 2, 1988.
The Centre has awarded the new bridge while giving its nod for extending the four-laning road from Ramanathapuram to Rameswaram after agreeing to extend the Madurai – Paramakudi four-laning project up to Paramakudi, local MP A. Anwhar Raajha said.
A DPR was being readied for 60-km long Ramanathapuram – Rameswaram section and steps were being taken to obtain Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, he said.
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When he requested Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways, to expand the existing bridge, the Minister told the MP, “why expansion, we will have a world-class new bridge,” said Mr Raajha.