Palk Strait Bridge
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 |
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 the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar on Mannar Island off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. The project was first formally introduced in 2002 during peace talks in Sri Lanka, the project has since undergone multiple feasibility assessments, including recent bilateral agreements in 2023–24 to evaluate its technical and economic viability. Despite support from sections of both governments and backing from the Asian Development Bank, the bridge has faced persistent opposition in Sri Lanka over concerns related to national sovereignty, immigration, and cultural integrity. As of 2025, the Sri Lankan government has maintained a cautious stance, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stating the country was not yet ready for a land connection with India.
History
[edit]The bridge between India and Sri Lanka was first seriously proposed by the governments of these two countries back in 2002. During the 2002-2004 Peace Accord, the then Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, asked India to help build what he called the ‘Hanuman Bridge’.[1]
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][7] 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.[8]
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.[9] That study was initiated by India in January 2024, and will evaluate technical, economic, and environmental aspects to determine the project's viability.[10] The bridge aims to enhance trade, tourism, and overall connectivity between the two countries, and foster closer ties and cooperation.[11] In July 2024, the Sri Lankan President said that the feasibility study on the proposed bridge is in its final stages.[12]
In 2025 President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that Sri Lanka was not ready for a land connection with India yet.[13]
Opposition
[edit]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.[14][15] In 2015, Sri Lanka's Minister of Highways, Lakshman Kiriella, explicitly rejected the proposal, stating "We are against it because people of Sri Lanka are opposed to it. We cannot let India build a bridge".[16] 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.[17] Some argue the bridge could erode Sri Lanka's ethnic and cultural distinctiveness, intensifying fears of demographic transformation and loss of identity.[18]
See also
[edit]- Asian Highway Network
- Borders of India
- India–Sri Lanka maritime boundary agreements
- Pamban Bridge
- Adam's Bridge
- Extreme points of Sri Lanka
- Intercontinental and transoceanic fixed links
References
[edit]- ^ "Bridge over the Palk Strait". archives.sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ "Sri Lanka rejects bridge linking Tamil Nadu and North-East". Tamil Guardian. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "India-Sri Lanka road link in the works". Daily News and Analysis. 17 June 2015.
- ^ Balachandran, P.K. (19 December 2015). "Sri Lanka Scuttles Gadkari's Plan for Bridge Over Palk Strait". The New Indian Express. Express News Service. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015.
- ^ "India keen to build ADB funded road link to Sri Lanka". Tamil Guardian. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Feasibility study of bridge-tunnel combinations across Palk Strait: Comparison of technical and economic feasibility of various alignments R. Rengarajan, M. V. L. R. Anjaneyulu, and B. V. Venkatarama Reddy and it's published in Publication: Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology (Volume 16, Issue 5, 2018).
- ^ Tyagi, Tashika (23 January 2024). "India & Sri Lanka Maybe Getting A 23-Km Long Sea Link Soon As Govt Considers Feasibility Study For The Bridge". Curly Tales. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ Balachandran, P. K. "Sri Lanka-India Road And Rail Bridge Will Bring Down Transport Cost By 50% – Analysis". Eurasia Review. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Raju, Adluri Subramanyam (8 July 2024). "Bridge that could boost India and Sri Lanka ties". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "India looks to build 'Hanuman' bridge from Tamil Nadu to Tamil Eelam". Tamil Guardian. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Land bridge planned between India and Sri Lanka".
- ^ "Feasibility study on proposal to establish land connectivity with India in final stages, says Sri Lankan President". The Indian Express. 16 June 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Sri Lanka not ready for connectivity with India by land". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ Ramachandran, Sudha (15 December 2023). "Sri Lankans oppose sea bridge with India". Asia Times. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ^ Don, Manu (30 July 2023). "Road link between Lanka and India, a bridge too far". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Admin (23 December 2015). "Sri Lankans oppose sea bridge with India". Asia Times. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ Balachandran, P. K. (6 August 2016). "No Plan to Build India-Sri Lanka Bridge, Says Lankan Minister". The New Indian Express.
- ^ "Proposed bridge across Palk Straits: Adverse impact on bio-diversity and ethnic identity". SPUR. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2025.