ABSTRACT
This paper presents the unprecedented geotechnical challenges encountered in the construction of the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge. Chenab bridge is the most critical component of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link Project of Indian Railways, a project of national importance of India is being executed across the deep gorge of Chenab river. The 1315m long bridge consists of an arch span of 467m with deck at 359 m above the highest water level. The predominant strata are highly jointed dolomite with shale bands. The bridge is located in a highly seismically active area (Zone 5 of Seismic map of India). Innovative foundation design strategies and slope stabilization measures were developed to address highly fractured rock masses, steep Himalayan terrain, and seismic risks. An adaptive ‘design-as-you-go’ approach integrated real-time investigations with customized solutions such as rock bolting, anchoring, and deep excavation. The project demonstrates how perseverance, interactive geotechnical design, and engineering ingenuity transformed an impossible site in-to a global benchmark of infrastructure resilience. The Chenab Bridge stands as a striking example of how geotechnical challenges often outweigh structural engineering in terms of complexity and time.
