Vembanad Rail Bridge
Vembanad Rail Bridge in Kerala is the longest rail bridge in India with a total length of 4.62 km. It is dedicated solely for freight. It connects Edappally and Vallarpadam in Kochi.
The bridge is built over the Vembanad Lake and passes through the 3 small islands.
The construction of the bridge began in June 2007 and was completed on 31 March 2010.
A total of 11,700 tonnes of reinforced steel, 58000 tonnes of cement, 99000 cubic metre of metal aggregates, 73500 cubic metre of sand, 127000 cubic metre of concrete work and 154308 cubic metre of earth work went into this project.
The bridge was built by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd., a Government of India Enterprise (RVNL).
The bridge is constructed over pile foundations at 133 locations. The bridge comprises 231 girders, each weighing 220 tonnes. The bridge has 132 spans consisting of 33 spans of 20 m and 99 spans of 40 m which are made of PSC girders and cater to electric traction.
This bridge lets only 15 trains to pass each day.
