The Chenab Bridge situated in Jammu and Kashmir, is the tallest railway bridge in the world. It was on Friday, July 8, that it was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The bridge was part of the 272-Km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), which has been under consideration since it was approved to be built in 2003.
Professor G Madhavi Latha was one of the main players in the successful construction and completion of the bridge. A professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, she was part of the Chenab Bridge project for 17 years and was the geotechnical consultant.
G Madhavi Latha worked with the contractor, Afcons, for the Chenab Bridge, during which she was closely involved in, planning, design and construction of bridge while trying to overcome challenges of the geographic features.
We are proud of Prof Madhavi Latha & her team's contribution to the #ChenabBridge inaugurated by Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi🎉
— IISc Bangalore (@iiscbangalore) June 6, 2025
The team worked on stability of slopes, design & construction of foundations, design of slope stabilisation systems incl. rock anchors to withstand hazards. pic.twitter.com/BApCSJTRZX
Who Is G Madhavi Latha?
She is currently a HAG professor in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Dr Latha earned her B.Tech in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in 1992, and graduated with first class with distinction.
While pursuing her M.Tech at National Institute of Technology, Warangal, she was awarded a gold medal. Her specialisation was Geotechnical Engineering. Dr Latha completed her PhD at IIT-Madras in 2000 in Geotechnical Engineering.
Over the years, she has received numerous awards. In 2021 she received the Best Woman Geotechnical Reserarcher award from the Indian Geotechnical Society. In 2022, Dr Latha was featured in the Top 75 Women in STEAM of India.
Role In The Chenab Bridge Project
The complicated topography, climate conditions and location of the Chenab Bridge made construction in this area no easy feat.
In order to address the unique challenges presented by the site, Dr Latha and her team improvised with a “design-as-you-go approach,” which consisted of innovating on the spot using different geological conditions, such as cracked rocks, voids and inconsistent rock properties which were previously not shown in early surveys.
The team made complex calculations and design changes to reactively respond to the actual rock mass conditions that they encountered during the construction. Dr Latha’s advice provided value to the project in making decisions relating to the design and location of the rock anchors used to increase stability.
Just recently, she produced a paper in the Indian Geotechnical Journal which had a women’s special issue, titled “Design as You Go: The Case Study of Chenab Railway Bridge.” The paper addressed how the design of the bridge has continuously evolved, with only the structure, location and type being held constant, in order to accommodate to the geological conditions of its site.
Chenab Bridge Description
At a cost of Rs 1,486 crore, the Chenab Bridge was stated to be the “largest civil-engineering challenge for any railway project in India in recent times” by the government. The 359-metre bridge is taller than the Eiffel Tower by 35 metres. This project will allow connectivity to improve in the Kashmir valley.
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