World's tallest pier bridge in Manipur by Indian Railways: All you need to know

Indian Railways is constructing the world's tallest pier bridge in Manipur, across river Ijai. The pier bridge will have a height of 141 metres surpassing the existing record of 139 metres of the Mala-Rijeka Viaduct in  Europe. It will also connect North-Eastern remote areas to the rest of India. 

Indian Railways is on a mission mode to expand the capacity and length of railway tracks all across the nation , connecting all regions of North East besides J & K and contribute to an integrated infrastructure growth in the country as envisioned by the Hon'ble PM.

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) August 16, 2020

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As per the reports, the new bridge is a part of 111 km long Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal line project. The total length of the bridge is 703 metres. The piers of the world's tallest bridge are constructed using hydraulic augers. These are based on the slip-form technique, ensuring efficient and continual construction. 

The bridge is located at the hilly terrain in Noney district. The estimated cost of the railway bridge is Rs 280 cr and it is scheduled to be completed by March 2022. The total project will have a total 45 tunnels and tunnel number 12 will have a total length of 10.280 kilometres-- the longest tunnel in the entire North East India. 

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As per the railway officials, the steel girders used in the construction of the bridge will be made in a workshop, transported in segments and will be erected at the site by Cantilever launching scheme. For the safe and speedy installation, self-erecting lifts will be used at each pier. 

Previously, the Indian Railways tweeted that it is building the world’s highest railway bridge over river Chenab, connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. This bridge will be built on the Katra-Banihal rail line in the Reasi District. The height of this bridge will be 359 metres above the Chenab river bed and will also be 30 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The bridge will be 1.3-km-long in length. It is worth noting that the bridge will be arch-shaped bridge having the support of RCC and steel pillars on both sides of the river bank.  

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