ONCE UPON A TIME A WOODEN BRIDGE AT HOWRAH

•Ressurection through Eastern Railway as an enginnering marvel of  new 4-Lane Cable Stayed Chandmari Road Overbridge (ROB)

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Kolkata,

 
Eastern Railway, a trailblazer in the realm of rail infrastructure, is set to achieve yet another significant milestone with the replacement of the old Chandmari Road Overbridge (ROB) in Howrah Yard. The latest developments in the construction of  new 4-lane cable stayed Road Overbridge in lieu of existing Chandmari Road Overbridge is the completion of 5 main segments out of 11. The Orthotropic Main Span consists of 9 segments (S1~S9) at 12.0 metres long, where 2 segments, S10 at 9 metres and S11 at 4.5 metres long. The construction work for Railway portion has planned to be completed by April, 2025.
 
Buckland Bridge or more popularly known as Chandmari Bridge has been an integral part of the historic past of Howrah since 91 years. Buckland Bridge was built by the East Indian Railway in 1933 near Howrah station. Though the official name was ‘Buckland Bridge,’ this bridge came to be known by various names. 
 
The bridge is also known as Bangal Babu Bridge commemorating the establishment of a wooden bridge by the family members of Bangal Babu, Shri Babu Ramjatan Basu , who shifted his establishment from Dhaka to Howrah during 1863 ,  in connection with the business. Among his two sons of Ramratan and Rajlochan, Ramratan Basu was appointed as the first commissioner of Indian origin by the then colonial government. The Bangal Babu family had become very influential and acquired Zamindai. They has established a market at Howrah for the benefit of the subject, known as Bangal Babu Market and also established a wooden bridge over the Railway track for hassle free  movement to and from the market.
 
In course of time that wooden bridge known as the Bangal Babu Bridge substituted with a concrete bridge in 1933 as a Road Overbridge across the vast span of Howrah station yard. It was also known as Martin Bridge because Martin Rail used to depart from the bottom of the bridge. After the East Indian Railway Company changed its name to Eastern Railway, this bridge became popular as Chandmari Bridge. Even today, people living in this area or associated with the railways still refer to the bridge as Chandmari Bridge. 
 
But time has eroded the health of Chandmari Bridge. So this age-old bridge built during the British era, will soon be demolished. Right next to it, a modern cable bridge just like Vidyasagar Setu, will be constructed. 
 
The new ROB features a 4-lane cable-stayed design for increased capacity and durability, with an enhanced carriage way of 2×7.5m for smoother traffic flow. Its strategic location will eliminate operational constraints and bottleneck in Howrah yard, while an additional track below the Chandamari Bridge in Tikiapara-Howrah will improve connectivity. For greater interest of our bonafide passengers and stakeholders sometimes blocks are taken at weekend to cause minimal inconvenience.
 
The benefits of this upgrade are numerous, including seamless operational efficiency for an enhanced passenger experience, improved safety features for all commuters, increased transportation capabilities to support regional growth, and a future-proof design for expansion and yard remodelling.
 
 
EXISTING CHANDMARI BRIDGE (ROB) FEATURES:        
The present Chandmari ROB, located immediately beyond the Howrah Station, is a Bow string girder of RCC construction, built in the year 1933. The main span of the ROB stands over fifteen railway tracks within its clear span of about 60m (C/C bearing 63m) & max vertical clearance of 5.1 m from rail level of tracks below the ROB. The ROB is built by Railways with cost sharing from State Government.
 
 
NEW ROB FEATURES : 
The proposed Chandmari Road Overbridge (ROB) is a 4-lane Cable Stayed Type Bridge with a vertical clearance of above 6.5 meters under the bridge. Its vast main span stretches 134 meters over Railway Track with a back span coming to 66 metres. The foundation is Well Foundation. The central pylon reaches an impressive height of 81.381 meters above the ground level. 
 
The bridge will stand through RCC Pylon supported by 3 planes of cables, 27 cables o­n either side. The carriage way is 2 x 7.5 meters wide, big enough to accommodate all four lanes comfortably. The overall bridge is 26.410 meters wide including both side footpaths.
 
 
Construction of the New Cable Stayed ROB is progressing silently.  The launching of the main span up to 5th segment is completed out of 11 segments. The launching of each segment takes approximately 56 days involving 36 night blocks of 4hrs each. But work continuing causing minimum disturbance to train traffic
 
The approach work is planned with co-ordination of state authorities, will be started tentatively from April 2025.
 
The construction of this new ROB demonstrates a commitment to upgrading rail infrastructure, providing a better travel experience for all passengers.

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