The Pamban Bridge (Indira Gandhi Setu) on the Palk Strait connects Rameswaram to mainland India. It refers to both the road bridge and the cantilever railway bridge, though primarily it means the latter. It was India's first sea bridge and the second longest sea bridge in India (after Bandra-Worli Sea Link) at a length of about 2.3 km. From the elevated two-lane road bridge, adjoining islands and the parallel rail bridge below can be viewed.

The railway bridge is 2,065 m and was opened for traffic in 1914. The railroad bridge is a still-functioning double-leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass under the bridge.

The railway bridge historically carried meter gauge trains on it, but Indian Railways upgraded the bridge to carry broad gauge trains in 2007. Until recently, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers. About 10 ships - cargo carriers, coast guard ships, fishing vessels and oil tankers - pass through the bridge every month. The location is also a cyclone prone high wind velocity zone.