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This article was first published 13 years ago

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Last updated on: June 23, 2011 17:45 IST

Image: Labourers walk on a bridge near the hydropower project located at Baglihar Dam.

India has an impressive network of bridges. By 2016, India will have the highest railway bridge in the world, over river Chenab, 359 meters above the river bed.

India's rise as an economic power to reckon with has seen the country try to shore up its dilapidated infrastructure. Rapid infrastructure build-up is essential to sustain India's high economic growth.

Here are some engineering marvels that span the length of breadth of India. Click NEXT to see India's amazing bridges...

 

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link/Bandra-Worli Sea Link
Maharashtra

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link is a cable-stayed bridge which links Bandra and the western suburbs of Mumbai with Worli and central Mumbai.

The 1,600 crore ($356.8 million) project of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) was executed by Hindustan Construction Company, with design and project management by DAR Consultants.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Pamban Bridge.
Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge / Pamban Bridge
Tamil Nadu

After the Bandra-Worli sea link, Pamban Bridge is the second longest sea bridge in India at a length of about 2.3 km.

This also has the distinction of being India's first sea bridge. A cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait, it connects Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Mahatma Gandhi Setu.
Mahatma Gandhi Setu
Bihar

The bridge over the river Ganges connects Patna to Hajipur in north Bihar. The bridge stretches to a distance of 5.6 kilometres.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Howrah Bridge.
Howrah Bridge/Rabindra Setu
West Bengal

The Howrah Bridge on the Hoogly River, Kolkata is the largest cantilever bridge in India. The Howrah Bridge connects Kolkata and Howrah.

On 14 June 1965, it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath Tagore, first Indian Nobel laureate.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Brahmaputra Bridge.
Brahmaputra Bridge
Assam

The first rail-cum-road bridge across the Brahmaputra was opened to traffic in April 1962 at Saraighat.

The 3,015 metre long road bridge over river Brahmaputra was built for the North Frontier Railway.

This bridge links the north-eastern states with the rest of India.

. . .

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Coronation Bridge.
Coronation Bridge
West Bengal

The Coronation Bridge, also known as the Sevoke Bridge, in Darjeeling spans across the Teesta River, connecting Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.

It was named to commemorate the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and was completed in 1941 at a cost of Rs 4 lakh.

...

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Panvalnadi Bridge.

Panvalnadi Bridge
Maharashtra

The tallest bridge in India is on the Panval river in Maharashtra. The tallest pier of the bridge is 64 metres above bed level and the length of the bridge is 424 metres.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Vembanad Rail Bridge.
Vembanad Rail Bridge
Kerala

It is the longest rail bridge in India. The bridge is used only for goods traffic.

. . .

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Yamuna Bridge.
Yamuna Bridge
Uttar Pradesh

The Naini Bridge over Yamuna River is one of the largest cable-stayed bridges in India, connecting Allahabad with Naini.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Golden Bridge.
Narmada River Bridge / Golden Bridge
Gujarat

The Golden Bridge that connects Ankleshwar to Bharuch was built in 1881 by the British. The bridge was built to enhance the transport network to Mumbai.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Godavari Rail Bridge.
Godavari Rail Bridge
Andhra Pradesh

Godavari Rail Bridge is the longest bridge in Andhra Pradesh.

Also known as the Kovvur-Rajahmundry Bridge, it is Asia's second longest road-cum-rail bridge crossing a water body, after Japan's Kansai International Airport Sky Gate

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: An elephant carries a heap of leaves through traffic on a bridge over river Yamuna.
Photographs: Parth Sanyal/Reuters.
New Nizamuddin bridge
New Delhi

The Nizamuddin bridge over river Yamuna on NH-24 connects east and west Delhi.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Vidyasagar Setu.
Vidyasagar Setu
West Bengal

The bridge connects Howrah to Kolkata. It is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the longest in Asia, at a total length of 822.96 m. It was built at a cost of Rs 388 crore (Rs 3.88 billion) and commissioned in 1992.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Prakasham Barrage.
Prakasham Barrage
Andhra Pradesh

The impressive Prakasam Barrage stretches across a distance of 1223.5 meters across the Krishna River connecting Guntur and Krishna districts. The barrage serves as a road bridge.

India's 15 most amazing bridges

Image: Ellis Bridge.
Ellis Bridge
Gujarat

A landmark in Ahmedabad, the Ellis Bridge is built across river Sabarmati. Constructed in 1870, the original bridge constructed by British engineers had a wooden structure, which was replaced by steel in 1882.

It has been renamed Swami Vivekananda bridge.