KOLKATA, Nov 15: The iconic Howrah Bridge or Rabindra Setu, which serves as a crucial gateway to the city, will be fully closed both ways for all types of vehicles from 11-30 p.m. on Saturday to 4-30 a.m Sunday for a comprehensive check-up, the Kolkata Port authorities said on Friday.
The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata. Chairman Rathendra Raman said that to ensure the 81-year-old bridge’s continued strength and durability, the port is conducting a comprehensive health check-up in coordination with the police.
RITES, the expert agency deployed for health study, are inspecting the bridge with other experts and to facilitate the nspection a short closure of the bridge has been planned.
The last time such a thing was conducted was in 1983-1988 as the bridge, an engineering marvel of the British era, is a vital link between Kolkata and Howrah. It was commissioned in 1943.
RITES had taken the help of Rendel Palmer & Triton), the main designer of the bridge and the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) during their study. It had also made a traffic study, survey, necessary Ultrasonic tests and non-destructive tests etc.
Based on these tests, RITES submitted a health report of the bridge at that time. The report also provided restoration and retrofitting schemes for enhancing the service life of the bridge.
BBJ Construction company took up the restoration work in two phases between 1992 and 2005 at a cost of about Rs 15 crores.
SMP Kolkata, being the Commissioners for Rabindra Setu, is looking after its maintenance, cleaning, decorative lighting, street lighting as well as regular maintenance of the Brabourne Road Flyover.
A division of the SMP’s Civil Engineering Department has been placed into service for looking after the maintenance of Rabindra Setu, which ferries one lakh plus vehicles and over 1.5 lakh pedestrians daily, (UNI)
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