
India’s First Vertical Sea Bridge
On April 6, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the much-awaited New Pamban Bridge, a landmark engineering marvel and India’s first vertical lift sea bridge. This state-of-the-art infrastructure connects Mandapam on the mainland with the sacred pilgrimage town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island, Tamil Nadu.
The New Pamban Bridge replaces the century-old structure and introduces modern technology to allow vertical lifting for ship passage. It spans over 2 kilometers and is expected to significantly boost connectivity, tourism, and trade in the region. The bridge can lift vertically to a height that allows the smooth passage of ships beneath it—an innovation seen for the first time in Indian maritime connectivity.
This monumental project showcases India’s growing capability in infrastructure development and reinforces the government’s commitment to modernizing the nation’s transport network.