The Golden Joint of Chenab Railway Bridge was launched on 13 August 2022 thereby inaugurating the World's highest railway bridge.
From the two ends of the Chenab River valley, the bridge superstructure on the arch was gradually pushed so that it eventually connected at the centre of the arch.
The segments were joined with the help of High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG) bolts to mark the critical 'golden joint' on the iconic structure.
The bridge comprises 93 deck segments, each weighing around 85 tonne, launched simultaneously from both ends of the valley over the massive steel arch and work on joining five segments in full progress on the single line linking Katra (Jammu) with Qazigund (Kashmir), some 75 km away.
The project is part of the ambitious 272-km long railway line from Udhampur to Baramulla joining Jammu with the Kashmir valley.
A NABL laboratory was set up at the Afcons site to monitor quality at all stages, weld sample tests, etc, saving huge time, and NR permitted the use of a Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing Machine to inspect welds for the first time in the country.
The Afcons team has also designed a launch platform with a segment lifting capacity of 120 tonne for a height of around 39 mtr and developed and implemented several other innovations to overcome the various challenges of the treacherous mountainous terrain.
In addition to the Chenab Railway Bridge, 16 additional bridges are also being built to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country.