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> Howrah Bridge |
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| Howrah
Bridge
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One of Calcutta's most famous landmarks, Howrah Bridge - now
also k nown
by the new name of Rabindra Setu - is 97m high and 705m long, spanning
the river in a single giant leap to make it the world's largest cantilever
bridge. It was erected during World War II in 1943 to give Allied
troops access to the Burmese front, replacing an earlier pontoon bridge
that opened to let river traffic through. Looking like a giant version
of something a child might make using a construction set, it's the
world's busiest bridge, used by millions  of
commuters daily. Its eight lanes are perpetually clogged with vehicles,
and it's so worn out that a man pushing his broken-down car is said
to have fallen through a hole and disappeared. Don't let that put
you off; joining the streams of perspiring pedestrians who walk across
the bridge each day is a memorable experience.
Vivekananda Setu, the second Hooghly bridge, built 3km south to relieve
the strain, was 22 years in the making. It's a vast toll bridge, high
enough to let ships pass below, and with spaghetti-junction-style
approaches.
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