Vivekananda Setu

Vivekananda Setu
বিবেকানন্দ সেতু
Vivekananda Setu
Coordinates 22°39′11″N 88°21′12″E / 22.65319°N 88.35326°E / 22.65319; 88.35326Coordinates: 22°39′11″N 88°21′12″E / 22.65319°N 88.35326°E / 22.65319; 88.35326
Carries Rail cum Road bridge
Crosses Hooghly River
Locale Bally-Dakshineswar
Characteristics
Material Steel and Stone
Total length 880 metres (2,890 ft; 0.55 mi)
History
Opened 1931

Vivekananda Setu (also called Willingdon Bridge and Bally Bridge) is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Howrah, at Bally, to its twin city of Kolkata, at Dakshineswar. Completed in December 1932, it is a multispan steel bridge and was built to provide road and rail links between the Calcutta Port and its hinterland. It is 2,887 feet (880 m) long.[1] The famous Dakshineswar Temple is situated on the banks of the Hooghly River near the Bally Bridge. The bridge is one of 4 bridges linking Howrah and Kolkata.

Naming

The bridge was originally named Willingdon Bridge after Viceroy of India, Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon, who inaugurated it.[2] It was eventually renamed Bally Bridge, before officially becoming known as Vivekananda Setu.

Construction

The erection and deep well sinking of the bridge was done by famous Kutchi-Mestri contractor and Industrialist Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan.[3] His nameplate can still be seen on each girder of the bridge.[2] The construction of bridge started in year 1926 and was completed in year 1932.[3][2][4] The fabrication of the bridge was done at works of Braithwate & Company, Calcutta.[3][2]>

The Bridge was built with eight spans laid at distance of 300 ft each. The length of bridge is almost half mile with 10 km approach roads on both sides.[2][5] The foundation laid with well-sinking 100 ft down the river beds, girding, erection of abutments, arching was all done by Jagmal Raja.[2][4] This Railway bridge is also important in annals of History of Railway in India because the Railway for the first time crossed over River Hooghly and reached Calcutta at Sealdah Terminus[2]

The first train that ran across the bridge was named Jagmal Raja Howrah Express by the British, acknowledging the feat of Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja.[4] The bridge cost over ₹1 crore (US$140,000) in those years.[4]

Usage

The bridge serves both road and rail:

This bridge has recently handled a daily traffic of 24,000 vehicles.[6]

Vivekananda Setu had become weak as a result of ageing, and with heavy traffic, even repairs became difficult. There was need for a second bridge. Nivedita Setu was constructed parallel to it and around 50 metres (165 ft) downstream.[7] It was opened to traffic in 2007. The Vivekananda Setu allows traffic movement upstream (Bally to Kolkata) while the Nivedita Bridge helps downstream transport (from Kolkata to Bally).

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Vivekananda Setu". wcities. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa of Calcutta compiled by Raja Pawan Jethwa published in year 1998 in English. Life sketch of Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan pp:33.
  3. 1 2 3 Minutes of proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1934 : Willingdon Bridge & Rai Bahadur Jagamal Raja, Volume 235, Part 1, page 83.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Nanji Bapa ni Nondh-pothi published in Gujarati in year 1999 from Vadodara. It is a diary of Railway Contracts done by KGK Community noted by Nanji Govindji Tank of Jamshedpur, compiled by Dharsibhai Jethalal Tank. - Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan of Nagor, Allahabad : Life-sketch & achievements pg 6-9
  5. ↑ Conditions and Prospects of United Kingdom Trade in India: (with a Brief Account of the Trade of Burma).Great Britain. Dept. of Overseas Trade ;H.M. Stationery Office, 1928 - India pp:136.
  6. ↑ "Famous Bridges of India – Vivekananda Setu". India Travel News. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  7. ↑ "Famous Bridges of India – Nivedita Setu". India Travel News. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
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