Howrah Bridge in Kolkata

Howrah Bridge is popularly known as “The Gateway Of Kolkata”. It is a wonderful architecture of the 19th century by the British Government. There are countable cantilever bridge made all over the world at the time of its constriction, it is one of them. The Howrah Bridge in Kolkata joins two twins town at the bank of the Ganges named Kolkata and Howrah. In other words, the British Government show the business purpose to construct this bridge. It is the only way that connects two popular sights on the banks of the Ganges, the Dakshineswar Temple, and the Belur Math. Belur Math is the headquarter of Ram Krishna Mission around the world.

The British government decided to make this bridge to the growing traffic at the bank of Ganga. The main unique architecture future of this bridge is there’s have no nuts and bolts all over the stricture.in 1967, Kolkata port authority changed its name with Rabindra Setu. Rabindra Nath was a famous Indian poet.In this 2020 year this bridge will celebrate its 55th birthday.

History of Howrah Bridge In Kolkata:

In 1855-56, the British Government first time feels the necessity of contract this bridge. Therefore They found Kolkata port Trust in 1870. And pass the Howrah bridge act 1871 under the Bengal act ix, 1871. However, at that time they build a pontoon bridge. The engineers faced various problems through this constriction. A devastating Cyclone hit the pontoon bridge on 20 March 1874. it affected almost 200 feet of the bridge. however when the constriction was complete, then the bridge was 1528 ft. in length and 62 ft. in wide. there was 7 feet wide pavement on both sides of the bridge.on 17 October 1874, it was open for general people. The total cost was 2.2 million to complete this pontoon bridge.

Planning about the New bridge

But the load-bearing capacity of this bridge was not too sufficient. For intense, they (Kolkata port trust) decided to modify this bridge in 1905. The port authority decided to replace that pontoon bridge with a permanent structure. In 1906 port commission arrange a meeting and create a board about the new bridge. They decided six options like 1. ferry summer, 2. transporters bridge, 3. A bridge on the piers, 4.An arched bridge, 5. The tunnel, 6. A floating bridge. But looking allover the budget they decided to construct a floating bridge. They seem the approximate cost for build this bridge was ₹2140,000. Initially, the constriction process of the new structure was stopped due to the first world war.

After the war in 1922, the new Howrah bridge commission was build up. Therefore, in 1926 the new Howrah bridge act passed. After a few years later depends on the report a tender announced all over the world. By chance, BBC constriction(Braithwaite, Burn & Jessop Construction Company) company got this contract in the year 1935. In the next year, they started bridge constriction.

plan and constriction of New bridge :

Rendel, Palmer, and Tritton made the architectural design of the bridge. George Turnbull was the chief engineer of this constriction, who was the engineer of east India railway corporation. The riveting technology was used to construct the whole stricture. There have no nuts and bolts in the Howrah bridge. The requirement of steel for bridge structure was 26500tons.In which 23000 tons of steel was highly tensile. The great Tata Steel company supplied those highly tensile steels. British East India Company imports just only 3000 tons of steel from England.

First world war and second world war affect the work progress of the bridge. the constriction mainly progresses from 1936 and ended in 1942. In 1943 the new Howrah bridge was opened for general people. the first vehicle over the bridge was a tram. The constriction cost of the bridge’s new structure was 25 million Indian rupees. In 2006, Kolkata port authority repairs some parts of the structure which cost around 5 million.

Howrah bridge in the 20th century:

Hawbridge is the busiest cantilever bridge in the world. almost 100,000 vehicles crossed this bridge per day. And 150,000 pedestrians used 15 feet wide pavement of the Bridge every day. It was illuminated by various led light, which makes this bridge an iconic symbol of ” city of joy”.Kolkata port trust has now maintained this bridge.

let’s see at a glance, how the Howrah bridge contract.