Noney Bridge: Good news for Northeast! World’s tallest railway pier bridge 75% complete; Details

Indian Railways has completed work on 75% of Noney Bridge, the world’s tallest railway pier bridge in Manipur, part of the 111-km Jiribam-Imphal project. The bridge is part of the Railways’ efforts to improve connectivity with remote areas where transportation is still a major problem. The work is being undertaken by North East Frontier Railway.

The bridge, being constructed across the Ijai river near Noney, has been described by experts as an engineering marvel. Standing at 141 metres, it will be the tallest pier bridge in the world, surpassing the record currently held by the 139-metre Mala-Rijeka viaduct in Montenegro.

The bridge will be 703 metres long, with the piers being constructed using hydraulic augers. The tall piers needed are specially designed using slip-form technique to ensure efficient and continual construction. The alignment passes through steep rolling hills of the Patkai region on the Himalayas’ eastern trail.

The bridge, being built at an estimated cost of Rs 374 crore, is expected to be completed by December 2023.

JIRIBAM-IMPHAL PROJECT

The Jiribam-Imphal railway project will connect the Manipur capital Imphal with the country’s overall broad-gauge network, reducing travel time from the current 10-12 hours to 2.5 hours. At present, crossing the valley requires a 220-km journey.

Chief Engineer Sandeep Sharma had earlier told Asian News International: “With the completion of the project, the 111-km distance will be covered in 2-2.5 hours. Presently, the distance between Jiribam-Imphal (NH-37) is 220 km, which took about 10-12 hours of travelling.”

He also spoke about the hurdles being faced during construction: “Landslides often occur on NH-37 during monsoon, which is the only route to this place. From April to October, there is immense rainfall here. During that time, it is difficult to work here. There are also some problems related to insurgency, which creates a problem sometimes.”