Srinagar, June 9, 2025 – The Chenab Bridge, dedicated on June 6, 2025, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, towers 359 meters above the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, earning its title as the world’s highest railway arch bridge. Stretching 1,315 meters, this steel arch structure is a key segment of the ₹1,486-crore Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), seamlessly connecting the Kashmir Valley to India’s rail network. Dr. G. Madhavi Latha, a geotechnical engineering professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, was a cornerstone of this project, providing 17 years of expertise starting in 2005.
Latha’s role focused on navigating the Himalayan region’s seismic and geological complexities. She developed solutions for slope stabilization and foundation design, employing techniques like cement grouting with rock pieces and steel rod reinforcements to secure the bridge’s arch abutments and piers. Her adaptive “design-as-you-go” strategy, later documented in the Indian Geotechnical Journal, ensured the structure could withstand magnitude-8 earthquakes and winds up to 260 kmph.
Hailing from Yedugundlapadu, Andhra Pradesh, Latha was the first engineer from her farming community. She graduated with a B.Tech from JNTU Kakinada, earned an M.Tech from NIT Warangal, and completed her Ph.D. at IIT Madras. Joining IISc in 2003 as its first woman faculty member in Civil Engineering, she shattered gender barriers, later chairing the Centre for Sustainable Technologies. Her accolades include the Top 75 Women in STEAM (2022) and the Indian Geotechnical Society’s Best Woman Researcher award (2021).
Despite legal hurdles from Public Interest Litigations delaying the project for nearly eight years, Latha’s collaboration with Northern Railways and Afcons Infrastructure drove the bridge to completion. Her contributions earned praise from industrialist Anand Mahindra, who highlighted her on X, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who called her a “Telugu daughter” of national pride.
The Chenab Bridge is more than an engineering marvel; it’s a symbol of unity, bridging historical divides and enhancing connectivity. Latha’s dedication, often in the remote Himalayan terrain, underscores the quiet resolve behind this landmark, cementing her legacy as a trailblazer who anchored a vision into reality.
