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Proposed bridge between Tamil Nadu, India, and Mannar Island, Sri Lanka From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
| 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, which agreed to finance the construction.[2] In December 2015, the Minister of Transport and Highways of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kiriella dismissed the proposal.[3][4] In spite of this setback, Gadkari continued promoting the bridge's construction, and insisting that discussions were ongoing, into 2016.[5]
An initial feasibility study of the bridge-tunnel combination was done in 2018.[6][failed verification] The study says it would increase trade, tourism and employment. In 2023, a further study by Sri Lankan economists concluded that the bridge would reduce transport costs to the country by 50%, thereby reducing the cost of imported goods and services.[7]
During a two day visit of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe to India in July 2023, both nations agreed to conduct a thorough feasibility study for a proposed bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka.[8] That study was initiated by India in January 2024, and will evaluate technical, economic, and environmental aspects to determine the project's viability.[9] The bridge aims to enhance trade, tourism, and overall connectivity between the two countries, and foster closer ties and cooperation.[10] In July 2024, the Sri Lankan President said that the feasibility study on the proposed bridge is in its final stages.[11]
There is some longstanding opposition to the project in Sri Lanka, with concerns around customs and immigration enforcement, tourism capacity, and the undermining of their independence.[12][13] Sri Lankan nationalists worry that the bridge would facilitate illegal immigration from the neighboring Indian state of Tamil Nadu, as poor workers arrive in search of better-paying jobs.[14]
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