The Palk Strait Bridge and Tunnel is a proposed 23-kilometre (14 mi) road and rail bridge and tunnel over the Palk Strait between Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu (a state in Southern India) and Talaimannar on Mannar Island, an island off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. During the 2002-2004 Peace Accord, the then Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, asked India to help build what he called the ‘Hanuman Bridge’.[1]
Palk Strait bridge and tunnel | |
|---|---|
 The bridge and tunnel is to be constructed across the Palk Strait, between India and Sri Lanka. | |
| Crosses | Palk Strait |
| Official name | India-Sri Lanka Binational Bridge and Tunnel |
| Owner | Government of India and Government of Sri Lanka |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 23 km (14 mi) |
| History | |
| Engineering design by | Waskita Karya |
| Construction start | No details |
| Construction end | No details |
In June 2015, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of the Republic of India, submitted the proposal to the Asian Development Bank. In December 2015, the Minister of Transport and Highways of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kiriella dismissed the proposal.[2][3]
A feasibility study of the bridge-tunnel combination was done in 2018.[4][failed verification] The study says it would increase trade, tourism and employment. It also says it's technically feasible and economically viable.
During the July 2023 a two day visit of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe to India, both nations agreed to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka. The bridge aims to enhance trade, tourism, and overall connectivity between the two countries. The study will evaluate technical, economic, and environmental aspects to determine the project's viability. This significant step is expected to foster closer ties and cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.[5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Bridge over the Palk Strait". archives.sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ "India-Sri Lanka road link in the works". Daily News and Analysis. 17 June 2015.
- ^ Balachandran, P.K. (19 December 2015). "Sri Lanka Scuttles Gadkari's Plan for Bridge Over Palk Strait". The New Indian Express. Express News Service. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015.
- ^ Feasibility study of bridge-tunnel combinations across Palk Strait: Comparison of technical and economic feasibility of various alignments R. Rengarajan, M. V. L. R. Anjaneyulu, and B. V. Venkatarama Reddy and it's published in Publication: Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology (Volume 16, Issue 5, 2018).
- ^ "Land bridge planned between India and Sri Lanka".
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