Coronation Bridge
Coronation Bridge | |
|---|---|
Spandrel-arch bridge in West Bengal | |
| Coordinates | 26°54′10″N 88°28′24″E / 26.902855°N 88.473265°E |
| Carries | two lanes of National Highway 17 traffic |
| Crosses | Teesta River |
| Locale | Sevoke |
| Other name | Baghpool |
| Named for | Coronation of George VI and Elizabeth |
| Maintained by | NHAI |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Material | Steel, Concrete |
| Width | 22.8 m (75 ft) |
| Height | 39.63 m (130.0 ft) |
| Longest span | 81.7 m (268 ft) |
| History | |
| Construction start | 1937 |
| Construction end | 1941 |
| Construction cost | ₹6 lakh (equivalent to ₹19 crore or US$2.3 million in 2023) |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Coronation Bridge | |
The Coronation Bridge, also known as the Sevoke Roadway Bridge, is a bridge across the Teesta River at Sevoke in the Indian state of West Bengal. The bridge is a part of the National Highway 17 (previously National Highway 31), and connects the districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong. It runs parallel to Sevoke Railway Bridge which is around 2 km (1.2 mi) away from coronation bridge in River Teesta. It was named to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937 and was completed in 1941 at a cost of INR 600,000. The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by John Anderson, the-then Governor of Bengal in 1937.
Locals call the bridge Baghpool, meaning tiger bridge, because of the two tiger statues (bagh actually means tiger) at one entrance of the bridge. John Chambers, the last British executive Engineer of the Darjeeling Division Public works department (PWD), carried out the design, drawing and planning of the bridge. Messrs J.C. Gammon, from Bombay, was the contractor. The bridge was built on the Reinforced Concrete system. Since it was not possible to obtain support from the Teesta river bed due to the depth and current of water, the entire bridge was supported by a fixed arch, which had its two ends fixed on rock layers on either side of the river.