Rajnath Singh inaugurates Colonel Chewang Rinchen Bridge in Ladakh

The Union Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh, on Monday attended the inaugural ceremony of Colonel Chewang Rinchen bridge, built at the Shyok River in Ladakh. According to media reports, this bridge is constructed at an altitude of 14,650 feet in the forward area of the Ladakh region. The Colonel Chewang Rinchen bridge has been built by the Border Roads Organisation or BRO in the region. 

Rajnath Singh on inaugurating the bridge 

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Significance of the bridge 

Developed in the sub-sector north, Colonel Chewang Rinchen bridge is built on the strategically important road, Durbuk Shyok Daulat Beg Oldie, in the eastern part of Ladakh. The 1,400 feet long bridge has been built by using the micropile technology as per the BRO reports. This technique was used to overcome the challenges in the remote area of Ladakh. The bridge was constructed within 15 working months using 6,900 cubic meters of concrete and 1,984 metric tons of steel. The bridge has been named after one of the highly decorated Indian Army Officer from Ladakh, Colonel Chewang Rinchen.  

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Bridge close to LAC

The Colonel Chewang Rinchen bridge is 45 km east of Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and it is 4.5 meters wide. The bridge can also accommodate vehicles of 70 tonnes class. Media reports suggest that the bridge is likely to reduce travel time by half and help in the development of border areas and villages across Shyok River. Rajnath Singh also took to Twitter to highlight the recent India and China summit and reiterating China’s stand on important issues. 

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