The unparalleled architectural skill of the British-era bridge..

Harshvardhan Deshbhratar 

Saptahik "Janta ki Awaaj"

Bhandara/Tumsar Sept.14 :- Times have changed, railway engines have changed, trains have increased in speed; however, the British-era railway bridge over the Wainganga River still stands in the minds of the people. Even after crossing the 100-year mark, the railway continues to operate uninterruptedly from this bridge. This bridge is seen as a masterpiece of British-era civil engineering.

Due to the wide width of the riverbed, sandy layer and friable soil, constructing a bridge at this place was considered very challenging at that time. However, British engineers accepted the challenge and completed the work in a period of five to six years, according to railway sources. The construction of that time is still intact today.

On the one hand, new railway bridges are being built with the help of modern technology, while on the other hand, this British-era bridge over the Wainganga still stands in the minds of the people with a hundred years of history on its shoulders. This historical bridge has retained its strong identity even today. Therefore, this bridge is not just a railway transport route but a living memory of British-era architectural skills.

Two new bridges parallel to the bridge

This bridge is about 800 meters long on the Wainganga River on the Mumbai-Howrah railway line of the South Eastern Railway. The construction of the Mumbai-Howrah railway line began during the expansion of the British-era railway system. This bridge was built on the Wainganga River during the same period. Keeping in mind the increasing railway traffic after independence, two more new bridges were built parallel to this old bridge. Due to this, the traffic load on the old bridge was divided to some extent.

Hundreds of trains pass on the bridge every day

Today, a large number of passenger and freight trains are being carried on this historic bridge. It is known that around 180 to 200 passenger and freight trains run on this line in 24 hours. Notably, the Vande Bharat Express, one of the most modern and fastest railway services in the country, also runs on this bridge. The quality of the construction of this bridge is highlighted as the increasing load of modern railway traffic is being carried on the construction of a hundred years ago.

Inspection by experts every year

Regular maintenance and inspection is carried out by the railway administration for the safety of the bridge. It is said that a team of experts from the Civil Engineering Department of the Ministry of Railways inspects the bridge from time to time and checks the condition of the stones, the iron structure and the safety of the entire structure.

Strong foundation of red stones

The red stones used in the construction of this bridge are very strong. This bridge has survived for years, facing the large flow of river water, the impact of floods and changing weather conditions. The height and depth of the bridge also give an idea of ​​its strong structure. Despite the limitations of the technology available at that time, the planning, stone construction and use of iron structure by British engineers are astonishing even to today's engineering field.