Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 9 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu congratulated Professor G. Madhavi Latha for the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River. CM Naidu lauded the engineer for her 17 years of dedication and sacrifice in building the bridge.

Sharing a post on X, Chandrababu Naidu wrote, 'Another Telugu daughter has made India proud! I salute Professor G. Madhavi Latha Garu, one of the brilliant minds behind the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River, inaugurated by Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji on June 6. Hailing from a small village in Andhra Pradesh, she dedicated 17 years of hard work and sacrifice to build this architectural marvel for the nation.'

The Chief Minister also congratulated the entire team of engineers and construction workers behind the Chenab bridge.

'I congratulate the entire team of engineers and construction workers on completing this unprecedented project, despite the challenging terrain and harsh weather conditions. Your contributions towards nation-building are inspiring,' he added.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world's highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River.

The architectural marvel, Chenab Rail Bridge, is 359 metres above the river. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. A key impact of the bridge will be in enhancing connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. It will officially connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India via rail for the first time in history.

The Vande Bharat Express train moving on the bridge takes about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing the existing travel time by two to three hours.

PM Modi on Friday flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, directly connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir. This marks a major milestone in Jammu and Kashmir's railway connectivity.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Anji Khad Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. Along with this, he dedicated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project to the nation. The 272-km-long USBRL project, which includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges, was constructed with an estimated Rs 43,780 crore. (ANI)