The iconic Howrah Bridge in Kolkata, which was built 81 years ago, will shut down for vehicles for the first time to get a health assessment. The closure will take place from Saturday 11:30 PM to Sunday 4:30 AM to ensure experts conduct the structural audit of the building damaged by the blaze.
Kolkata Port Trust also known as The Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port which is responsible for maintaining the bridge has now hired Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) to conduct the study, marking the first audit since 1983.
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In May 2023, authorities stripped the membrane of the bituminous layer with the objective of reducing the load. This measure is planned to be reviewed as part of the next health check and used to analyze the effect it has as well as to check the internal state of the bridge.
Located over the Hooghly River, the cantilever steel bridge unites two districts – Kolkata and Howrah. Fabricated using the immense 26,500 tonnes of high tensile steel alloy with Tata Steel as the main supplier, the bridge spans 705 meters in length and stands 71 feet in width, with directed 15-foot width footways on both edges. Positioned as the world’s busiest cantilever bridge, it serves around 1,00,000 vehicles and 1,50,000 people daily.
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Traffic Diversions During Closure
Accompanying the closure, motorists will be advised to apply other routes to counter-balance the closed one, vehicles headed towards Kolkata will be diverted towards Vidyasagar Setu via RB Setu-Burn Standard More-Foreshore Road-Kazipara, police said. Those bound for north Kolkata from south and west Howrah, intending to take Howrah bridge, could also travel by Nibedita Setu (Bally bridge) via HIT bridge-Golabari police station crossing-GT Road or Dobson Road-GT Road or CM Bridge-GT Road.
Historical Significance
Earlier, known as Rabindra Setu since 1965 commemorates the poet and Nobel prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, this bridge is a class structure of Kolkata. The health scan is part of a long-term preservation initiative that underscores the importance of maintaining the structural integrity of this engineering marvel.
