Howrah Bridge – The Iconic Landmark of Kolkata
Guess how many nuts and bolts were used in the construction of Howrah Bridge? None. Yes you read that right. Howrah Bridge, Kolkata is the world’s longest cantilever bridge and the sixth longest bridge of its type in the world.Howrah Bridge – A Quick Glance
Constructed in: 1936-1942
Daily footfall: 100,000 vehicles and more than 150,000 pedestrians
Duration of visit: 1-2 hours
Total length: 2,313 feet
Length of the bridge: 468 feet
Length of the anchor arm: 325 feet
Maintained by: Kolkata Port Trust
Howrah Bridge, Kolkata – World’s Busiest Cantilever Bridge
The majestic and iconic Howrah Bridge is one of the four bridges over the Hooghly River and one of the major iconic symbols of Kolkata. Weathering a storm of the Bay of Bengal region, the bridge carries a daily traffic of around 100,000 vehicles and more than 150,000 pedestrians easily making it the busiest cantilever bridge in the world.Construction of Howrah Bridge, Kolkata
The iconic bridge was designed by Rendel, Palmer, and Tritton, and was constructed by The Braithwaite Burn and Jessop Construction Company Ltd.The initial construction process was at halt due to the World War I, only for the New Howrah Bridge Act to be passed in 1926. It was in 1930 when the Goode Committee was formed, involving S.W. Goode (president), S.N. Mallick, and W.H. Thompson. The committee was setup to investigate and report whether or not a pier bridge between Calcutta and Howrah can be constructed. Once they recommended, M/s. Rendel, Palmer and Tritton were contacted to consider the construction of a suspension bridge.
However, the New Howrah Bridge Act was introduced and ideated much later in 1935, and construction of the bridge started in 1936 which stretched till 1942 for its completion. The Howrah Bridge, Kolkata was opened for public on 3rd February 1943 after seven long years. Sir RajendraNath Mukherjee was the chief engineer for the project.
Howrah Bridge – A Unique One
The Howrah Bridge stands out for the fact that it does not have nuts and bolts. The entire structure was constructed by riveting as a whole. It took a total of 26,500 tons of steel that includes 23,000 tons of high-tensile alloy steel (Tiscrom) supplied by Tata Steel. The main tower was constructed with single monolith caissons that is 55.31 m x 24.8 m in dimensions and includes 21 shafts, measuring 6.25 metre square each.The total construction cost of the Howrah Bridge was INR 333 crore. Though it was renamed as RabindraSetu paying homage to the great poet and Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore, but is still better known as the Howrah Bridge.
Howrah Bridge Trivia
It was a solitary tram that became the first ever vehicle to travel over the bridge once it was completed. From then, to 150,000 daily pedestrians, Howrah Bridge is indeed an iconic one worth mentioning.The Howrah Junction Railway Station stands at the Howrah end of the bridge, which is the oldest railway station of India. For the same reason, the bridge is also called the gateway to Kolkata.
At the time of construction (beginning), the Howrah Bridge was the third-longest cantilever bridge in the world. More specifically, it is a suspension type balanced cantilever bridge. The bridge has a central span of 460 m between the centres of the main towers. It also has a suspended span of 172 m. The main roadway is flanked by 15 feet wide footpaths for pedestrians to cross over.
Howrah Bridge – Then and Now
From the first tram that ran across the Howrah Bridge to today, the bridge has witnessed 76 long years. The traffic changed from two-wheelers, cars, buses, trams and trucks plying on the bridge.
In 1993, tram services were ceased on the bridge, and the route was discontinued keeping it open for the rest of the vehicles. The main reason for this was that the bridge wouldn’t take the heavy load of trams when traffic and footfall kept on increasing with years.
The bridge proudly held up to the test of time, never with reports of any injury. The Kolkata Port Trust did their best to maintain and safeguard the bridge from any serious damage, and have been quite prompt to repair any corrosion, weathering or damage.
Howrah Bridge Today
The Howrah Bridge today is a symbol that makes the city of Kolkata proud and famous. It is an iconic representation of the city. The busiest cantilever bridge of the world proudly serves people in lakhs every day, and offers a symbolic attachment to the people of Kolkata.A glance at the night, the Howrah Bridge stands proudly with bright lights colourfully lit up as your enter the city or leave it via railway route.
Howrah Bridge – Cultural Influence
The Howrah Bridge has immense cultural significance, and is synonymous with this royal city. The magnificence of the bridge has influenced several filmmakers to showcase it in their movies and short films.Bollywood (Mumbai Film Industry) and Tollywood (Kolkata Film Industry) movies like Do BighaZamin, ParashPathar, Neel AkasherNeechey, China Town, Amar Prem, Paar and Ram Teri Ganga Maili have featured the Howrah Bridge in extensive ways.
As a matter of fact, the bridge has been showcased several award-winning movies including Mrinal Sen's National Award winning Bengali movie Calcutta 71 and Richard Attenborough's Academy Award-winning film Gandhi.
In relatively new cinemas, the bridge can be seen in movies like Yuva, Parineeta, The Namesake, Love AajKal, Kahaani, Barfi!, Gunday and Piku, as well as in the 2016 Academy Award-nominated film Lion.
Howrah Bridge – Kolkata’s Pride
Howrah Bridge is one of the defining monuments of Kolkata and the pride of its residents. Undoubtedly the best-portrayed and most recognizable bridge of the world, Howrah Bridge remains undisturbed and undamaged since ever. The bridge has witnessed some of the major historical events of the world, including the Second World War, and a number of natural calamities as well as man-made chaos.The Howrah Bridge is the pride and emblem of the City of Joy and would remain so. The moment you enter the city (via rail), the bridge welcomes you to make its presence felt with warmth and affection. Pictures are worth a million and so are memories once you are here at the Howrah Bridge, Kolkata.
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