The Godavari is more than a river for the people living by it. They have a special bonding with it and they treat it as the soul of the region. There are so many sentiments tied to the river and associate it to their divine connect. And when we talk about the river, Rajahmundry essentially becomes the core of the topic. Adding to that are the three bridges on it and the oldest Havelock Bridge is sure to take you back in time. A well-known bridge which is now decommissioned still holds a special significance because of its timeless existence and the great historical facts that surround it.
The commencement of the bridge was started in November 1897 and it came into use from August 1900. It was named after Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock the then governor of Madras. The bridge was constructed with stone masonry and steel girders, which gives it a typical British look. It has 56 spans each of 45.7 meters and is 3,480 meters long. This rail bridge served as Howrah-Chennai line until the time of its decommissioning. It was initially used to connect the trains that ran between Howrah and then old Madras. After serving for 100 long years it is now used for Civic water supply pipelines. It was replaced by Godavari Arch Bridge in the year 1997.
After this bridge was recognized as a national historical monument, now it’s finally being converted into a tourist spot. Initially, there were reports that the bridge would be auctioned by the railway department but later the proposal was abandoned. The Municipal Corporation of Rajahmundry is planning to make it a pedestrian pathway and is willing to take up the beautification process. This process is yet to commence as Railway Ministry of India came forward to take up the responsibility. The land beside the bridge is also taken up by the railways for development. If everything falls into place and the bridge is beautified, the city of Rajahmundry is going to have another magnificent tourist attraction.
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