Bridges in India that are Absolutely Stunning!

Bridges that connect corners of the geographical as well as the human world.

Bridges have connected not just roads and railways but also the lives and convenience of people. Bridges across India have rendered people reach to the external world, making life more comfortable for people, and freed routes for them. There are various bridges constructed across India even in regions that seemed quite a challenge such as seas with high tides, high altitude mountains, and areas. Many of these bridges are an architectural edifice of engineering making them stand out and sturdy. We bring you some of the most stunning bridges across the country which must be visited once in a lifetime to appreciate its beauty as well as the talent involved in the construction of such magnificent structures.

Howrah Bridge, Kolkata

The first thing about Kolkata that pops up on everybody’s mind is the Howrah Bridge which is a famous landmark of the city. This iconic bridge is constructed over the Hoogly river and dates back to the year 1943. The steel required for this was entirely provided by The Tata Iron and Steel Company. The highlighting feature of this bridge is not a single nut and bolt was used for the construction of the bridge which took six years to complete. It is a cantilever bridge which means it is supported only at the ends and entirely suspended over the river. The British Era bridge stands tall and strong even today, which is crossed by thousands of vehicles and pedestrians every day.

Pamban Bridge, Tamil Nadu

This was the first-ever Seabridge in India which was opened in 1914. Until a road bridge was constructed in 1988, Pamban Bridge served as the only link between the island Rameshwaram and the mainland. The central part of the Pamban Railway bridge was is known as Scherzer span as a German engineer Scherzer designed it. This part allows ferried to pass through it. This took about a decade for the construction to get completed even after going through damages as the area is cyclone prone.

Golden Bridge, Gujarat

It is a British era bridge constructed over the Narmada River. Golden Bridge connects Ankleshwar to Bharuch and was constructed in 1881 by the British Raj. It derives its name because of the massive cost of construction is involved. The purpose of construction was to facilitate easy access to the officials located in the port city of Mumbai. This architectural marvel is a beautiful sight to behold as well as signifies Gujarat’s history even today.

Bandra – Worli sea link, Mumbai

Bridge supported entirely by cables that flow from the tower to the bottom of the bridge hence known as a cable-stayed bridge. It was opened in 2009 after many obstacles such as its effect on the marine life and regarding the location. This engineering marvel is considered as one of the most stunning bridges in India and runs over the Mahima Bay. A major credit of cutting down travel time between Western and Southern parts of Mumbai from an hour to a mere 10-15 minutes is entirely attributed to this construction.

Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Bihar

This bridge runs over Ganga and is one of the longest river bridges of the country. Mahatma Gandhi Setu bridge connects Patna (the capital city of the state) to Hajpur which and is about 6km in length. Constructed by Gammon India Limited it took almost 10 years for completion and was opened in 1982. This is used by thousands of vehicles and pedestrians every day and an elemental part of the state. This engineering wonder is even commemorated by the India Post by launching a postal stamp.

Coronation Bridge, Darjeeling

This is a stunning bridge surrounded by lush green forests and is located in Siliguri in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Coronation Bridge gets its name after King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s coronation to the throne and is visited by many tourists for the view it offers. The architecture of this bridge running over the Teesta River is unique and stands out from the surroundings which are further highlighted by the pink color of the bridge. There are tiger statues located at the ends of the bridge because of which the locals call it the ‘Bagh Pul’ which means Tiger bridge.

Jadukata Bridge, Meghalaya

This is a stunning piece of engineering which spans over the Kynshi River in Meghalaya. Located at a place called Ranikor in the West Khasi Hills Jadukata bridge is completely covered by green forests. It is a cantilever bridge that is connected only at the ends without much support at the other places. This can surely add to the list of one of the most beautiful bridges in India.

Vidyasagar Setu, Kolkata

This is another bridge in Kolkata located across the Hoogly river and fondly known as Second Hooghly Bridge. It is named after a reformer in the field of education – Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and it was opened in 1992 to the public. The capacity of this bridge is of 85,000 vehicles constituting six lanes and it one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in India. When it is lit up in the evenings it is a bridge that is a sight worth seeing.

Dhola – Sadiya Bridge, Assam

This is the largest bridge in India which is over 9 km in length. Dhola – Sadiya Bridge constructed over the Lohit River connects Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It plays an important role in the region as it reduces the travel time between the two states to an hour from a total of 6 hours. The constructed of this bridge was completed in 2017 and facilitates the movement of battle tanks which offers border protection in Arunachal Pradesh by bearing their weight. This is a bridge that is considered as an asset of the nation and also has consumed a considerable cost in its construction.

Godavari Arch Bridge, Andra Pradesh

This is an Engineering Marvel which opened in 1997 becoming the longest arch bridge in Asia. As the name suggests Godavari Arch Bridge runs over the Godavari river and located in the city of Rajahmundry. It is designed to withstand cyclonic storms and spread across an area of 320 feet forming a railroad bridge.

The Vembanad Bridge, Kerala

This bridge is one of the longest bridges in India connecting Edapally and Vallarpadan in Kochi. This beautiful bridge spans over a total length of 4.62 km. This is a railway bridge which opened in 2010 allowing 15 trains to pass through it which are all only the goods trains and no passenger trains pass through this. Vembanad lake bridge is constructed over the Vembanad Lake and passes through small islands of Mulavukadu and Idyakkara. This makes one of the beautiful and picturesque bridges in India with backwaters and string of islands that are ideally located.

The Sharavati Bridge

This is the longest railway bridge in the state of Karnataka located at Honnavar passing through the picturesque and beautiful routes of the Konkan region. This was completed in 1994 and is more than 6000 ft long. You can take a train in this route to witness this architectural beauty. It passes through one of the richest habitats of flora and fauna in the country and has won second prize in the competition for most outstanding Bridge National Awards 1995. 

The Panvalandi Bridge

Yet another beautiful railway bridges of India located in the Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra. Currently, the tallest bridge of India is also the second tallest viaduct in Asia. This Bridge built for Konkan Railway has won the award of the most outstanding concrete structure in India by the American Concrete Society. The bridge is of around 425 m in length and tallest pier of it is 64 m.

The Saraighat Bridge

This is the first rail cum road bridge near Guwahati, Assam which was constructed to connect North-East India with the rest of the country. It got opened in 1963 for passenger traffic and connects both banks of Brahmaputra at Saraighat. This is an architectural edifice of 1.4 km long with a national highway on top and railway tracks below forming a double-decker bridge. The Saraighat bridge named after a village Sarai has been operational from 5 decades now and still intact.

How many of these have you visited? Its time to add these to your itinerary while touring the regions located around these bridges. Only when you see these amazing structures will you understand the effort behind them and the ways in which it has helped the nation and the public in a wider aspect. Find out about Family Tour Packages & Honeymoon Tour Packages online at Travel Kida.

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