Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the worlds highest railway arch bridge - Chenab Railway Bridge and Indias first cable-stayed Anji Bridge in Jammu and Kashmirs Reasi district. In a remarkable gesture Prime Minister Modi waved the Tiranga the Indian national flag and carried it forward on the deck of the bridge on the Chenab River reported news agency ANI. Situated in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir the Chenab Bridge is an engineering marvel standing at a height of 359 meters above the riverbed. This bridge is reportedly taller than the Eiffel Tower. According to the news agency ANI report it will officially connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India via rail for the first time in history. The project part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) faced numerous engineering and logistical challenges due to the regions difficult terrain and seismic sensitivity. According to media reports the vision for the Chenab Bridge was first imagined over a century ago almost 130 years ago. Built to endure extreme conditions the bridge is engineered to resist powerful explosions of up to 40 kg and earthquakes with a magnitude as high as 8 on the Richter scale showcasing a remarkable feat of modern engineering. Following the Kargil War between India and Pakistan former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee set the USBRL rail project into the authority of the central government. It was following the war that Vajpayee saw the urgent necessity of this bridge. The Chenab Bridge was sanctioned in 2003 to link the far-flung areas of the Kashmir Valley. The project was to be finished in six years. But the project had been delayed numerous times and could not be completed within time. Today 26 years since the Kargil War the bridge has finally been completed. According to the LiveHindustan reports strategic experts believe that this ambitious Indian railway project is a major blow to both China and Pakistan. The completion of the Chenab Bridge has reportedly left the two close allies unsettled. The Pir Panjal region often seen as a key route for cross-border infiltration has long been exploited by terrorists. With this new rail link the operations of terror outfits like ISI Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba are likely to suffer a major setback as reported by LiveHindustan. These groups frequently used the area to hide or retreat into Pakistan. Now with seamless railway connectivity the Indian armed forces will be able to move troops and supplies to border regions more quickly and efficiently no matter the season or weather marking a big step forward in national security. The Chenab Bridge will greatly facilitate the movement of troops and weaponry to the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh borders. This increased access is also giving China cause for concern. At the same time tourism in Kashmir is worrying terrorists because they and Pakistan do not want Kashmir to develop. A prosperous and developed Kashmir makes it more difficult for them to radicalize and deceive impressionable youth. With the new rail connection penetration via the Himalayan Pir Panjal range can be checked which is likely to minimize terrorist activity in the Valley. Rapid response troops are also now able to move in quicker to meet challenges as they emerge.