Palk Strait Bridge

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
Engineering design by	Waskita Karya
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. In December 2015, the Minister of Transport and Highways of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kiriella dismissed the proposal.[2][3]

A feasibility study of the bridge-tunnel combination was done in 2018.[4] The study says it would increase trade, tourism and employment. It also says it's technically feasible and economically viable.

During the July 2023 a two day visit of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe to India, both nations agreed to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka. The bridge aims to enhance trade, tourism, and overall connectivity between the two countries. The study will evaluate technical, economic, and environmental aspects to determine the project's viability. This significant step is expected to foster closer ties and cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.[5]