The Hindu Business Line : Traffic census of Howrah Bridge

A FRESH round of traffic census of the Howrah Bridge (officially known as Rabindra Setu) has become due, so feels the Chairman of the Kolkata Port Trust which is responsible for the maintenance of the bridge. The first census was undertaken in 1946 (the bridge was commissioned in 1943) and it was found that the bridge was used by 121,100 pedestrians, 2997 cattle and 27,400 vehicles in 24 hours.

Subsequently, several such exercises were undertaken, the last one being in 1998 when it was noted that the peak and non-peak vehicular traffic varied between 75,000 and 90,000 in 24 hours. The situation must have changed since then.

The Howrah Bridge, when commissioned, was the fourth such cantilever steel-truss bridge in the world, the three others being Firth of Forth in Edinburgh, Scotland (1890); Pont de Quebec, Quebec, Canada (1917); and Transbay, San Fransisco, US (1936).

Subsequently several others were constructed in different parts of the world. Gradually, the trend shifted towards the cable-stayed bridges. Here also Kolkata has a claim to fame.

The first large cable-stayed bridge was built in Spain in 1983 and the one in Kolkata, popularly known as Second Hooghly bridge but officially the Vidyagar Setu, in 1992, was eighth such bridge in the world.

The maintenance of the Howrah Bridge is difficult because it is undertaken without disturbing the flow of traffic.

The bridge will soon receive a fresh coat of paints. The last painting was done in 1999. The Kolkata Port Trust, according to its Chairman, is mulling illuminating the bridge.

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