RAMANATHAPURAM: The dismantling of the iconic century-old Pamban railway bridge has gathered pace, with a major portion of its historic central span already removed, leaving tourists and locals saddened by the gradual disappearance of one of Tamil Nadu’s most recognisable engineering landmarks.
Senior railway officials said the dismantling of the central span that began in February is progressing as scheduled and is expected to be completed by end of September.
Officials noted that most of the dismantled steel members have suffered extensive corrosion after decades of exposure to the harsh marine environment, making preservation of the entire bridge impractical.
They added that only the bridge’s iconic radial girder is proposed to be preserved and relocated for public display. The girder is likely to be installed at the Railway Museum in Tiruchy as a heritage exhibit, while the remaining heavily corroded components are unlikely to be retained.
M Muthu Pavusal Amin, a social activist and resident of Pamban and several other tourists have appealed to the Railways to carefully preserve the dismantled portions of the heritage bridge and display them as a memorial. However, they alleged that the removed steel components have been stacked in an open yard, raising fears that prolonged exposure to the elements could accelerate corrosion and permanently damage the historic structure.
Muthu Pavusal said, “A significant portion of the bridge has already been removed, tourists visiting Pamban are now left viewing only the remaining section stretching across the sea. As the bridge represents an important chapter for the people, it should be preserved for future generations.”
The century-old railway sea bridge in Pamban was commissioned on February 24, 1914, connecting the mainland with Rameswaram and facilitating rail services from Chennai to Dhanushkodi.
Railway authorities later decided to dismantle the ageing structure, following which the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) floated a Rs 2.8 crore tender for dismantling the central lift span, girders and tracks.
It is not currently known when the remaining parts of the bridge would be taken down.