Vivekananda Setu, Steel railway and road bridge in West Bengal, India
Vivekananda Setu is a railway and road bridge in the Indian state of West Bengal, spanning 880 meters across the Hooghly River and connecting Howrah with Kolkata. The bridge rests on several steel girders supported by large piers and carries both trains on the Calcutta Chord line and light road traffic.
The bridge opened in 1931 under the name Willingdon Bridge and served to link railway networks on both banks of the river. The contractor Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja oversaw the work, which included lowering caissons into the riverbed to secure the foundations.
The bridge carries its present name in honor of Swami Vivekananda, a monk and reformer whose teachings shaped modern India. It runs close to the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, an important pilgrimage site, and so links two meaningful places in the region.
The bridge today is open only to light vehicles, while the railway line continues to operate and carries trains between the two urban areas. Those crossing can view the river and the banks from the upper deck.
Each steel girder section of the bridge bears a metal nameplate with the name of the contractor, affixed during construction. The caisson technique used during the build posed a technical challenge at the time, requiring precise control underwater.
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