Why in News?

• The Railways had completed the arch closure of the 1315m Chenab bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge.

Why was it constructed?

• The Chenab bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL) and completion of the steel arch is an important construction milestone.
• The bridge will provide the much-needed all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the county.
• The bridge will be able to withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of up to eight and high-intensity blasts.

What is an Arch Bridge?

• An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. 
• Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side.
• The curved design of the arch bridge gives the structure an added element of strength.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/railways-completes-arch-closure-of-chenab-bridge/article34246200.ece