The issue of Adam's Bridge or Ram Sethu

A new issue has been cropping up in India around the historic Adam's bridge or Ram Sethu between Southern India and Sri Lanka. There was a myth (?) that to fight off an evil King Ravana, Lord/King Rama and his army built a floating bridge over the ocean. That myth seemed right when NASA took some pictures and found a similar structure submerged in water. Indian government however has been working on a new maritime route for past few years which will require to destroy "that" structure. Archaeological Survey of India has given a new statement recently that on Historic grounds existence of Lord Rama can not be established. The books like Valamiki Ramayana and Tulsidas' Ramcharit-Manas can not be considered as historic artifacts. I am not sure what can be considered a historic artifact? Geographically, story of Rama has spanned from North to all the way to Southern India. The temples and other places of evidence found are so interconnected that its highly impossible that this being mere an imaginative story. The numbers could be wrong. It may not be even a bridge or not built around the same era, or a natural extension of the Earth mass, even the concept of a "Year" could be wrong but I don't think there should be any question regarding the existence of an Aryan King Rama which Hindus consider an Avatar of Vishnu. We should be dealing with these issues the other way round though. Instead of asking if Rama existed, prove that he did not. If can not then the beliefs of millions of people should be respected. Destroying the structure will not negate the importance of Rama in Indian social and religious lives but keeping it will only strengthen it. And besides, don't give the political parties an opportunity to make this a national issue.