Willindon Bridge

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The Willindon Bridge was constructed as part of the East Indian Railway (EIR) Calcutta Chord Railway, which opened 1931-32 connecting Dum Dum to Dankuni [1].

Now known as the 'Vivekananda Setu' Bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal. It links the city of Howrah, at Bally, to its twin city of Calcutta, at Dakshineswar. Completed in December 1932, it is a multispan steel bridge and was built to provide road and rail link between Calcutta Port]and its hinterland [2].

The Willingdon Bridge which spans the River Hooghly at Bally was by far the most expensive and the most difficult of the railway bridges to be constructed in India up to that time. The bridge was constructed at a total cost of Rs 1,14,67,000. At the point where this spectacular structure crosses the river is 2,520 feet wide and suffers from tidal bores and required 'virtually unique' technical solutions [3].

References

  1. "Symphony of Progress: The Saga of Eastern Railway 1854-2003" published by the Eastern Railway in Kolkata 2003, page 31
  2. Wikipedia "Vivekananda Setu"; Retrieved on 4 Jun 2016
  3. Grace's Guide "Willindon Bridge"; Retrieved on 4 Jun 2016