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Curzon Bridge, Allahabad

Curzon Bridge, Allahabad
Illustration from Archive.org Scientific American Vol 99, Number 13, September 1908 “The narrowing of the Ganges and construction of the Curzon Bridge", page 204, pdf page 4 of 16

The Curzon Bridge over the river Ganges formed part of the Allahabad-Fyzabad Railway. It opened to rail traffic on 15 Jun in 1905, operated by the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway, and providing a direct link from Allahabad to Lucknow and the hill stations beyond . The roadway opened for cart-traffic on 20 Dec 1905 .

The bridge was named after the Viceroy of that time Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India 1899-1905.

The bridge required special civil engineering techniques, first developed by James Richard Bell of the Public Works Department in the building of the Chenab Bridge at Shershar in the years 1888-90. The construction technique is described in the Scientific American “The narrowing of the Ganges and construction of the Curzon Bridge" article Sept.1908 .

Construction

The following is based on the Minutes of Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers "The Curzon Bridge at Allahabad" by Robert Richard Gales, 1908 and reproduced by kind permission of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London. The first page of this article is available from the ICE website .

Construction was sanctioned in December 1901 for the bridge as part of the State Railway and consisted of fifteen spans of 200 feet(61m) with well foundations. The bridge carried a single broad gauge (BG) line between the girders and a roadway on top. The Engineer-in-Charge was Robert Richard Gales; the author of the Paper delivered to the Institution of Civil Engineers, London

River Training Bunds

Wells and Well-sinking

Girders

Personnel

The following are recorded as being responsible during the construction :-

• C W Hodson, C.S.I., M.Inst.C.E., at that time being Director of Railway Construction for the Government of India
• Robert Richard Gales, the Author of this Report, Engineer-in-Charge of details and construction
• Charles William Hodson, Engineer-in-Chief of the Allahabad-Fyzabad Railway
• Francis Joseph Edward Spring, C.I.E., subsequent Director of Railway Construction
• Ernest Ifill Shadbolt, M.Inst.C.E. subsequent Director of Railway Construction

Records

The British Library IOR Photograph shelfmark 430/58 carries the following description:-

'The Curzon Bridge over the River Ganges at Allahabad. 15 spans of 200 feet. Started 8th November 1902. Opened for Railway Traffic 15th June 1905. Opened for Road Traffic 20th December 1905'. Above this in the top corner is the note: 'With R.R. Gale's compliments'. Print 1 is a portrait of Gale, the Engineer-in-Chief, and his assistants and the remaining photographs provide a chronological record of the bridge's construction from December 1902 to December 1905. A full account of the bridge's construction is given by Gale in his paper 'The Curzon Bridge at Allahabad', Paper No 3626 in the proceedings of The Institution of Civil Engineers, (Volume CLXXIV) Session 1907-1908, Part IV.

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Later History

At some point in time (not determined ) the use of the bridge for rail and road traffic, was abandoned leaving it only open to two wheelers and pedestrians.